Seasons of Love Spring
by Janglessss
Summary: A series starring Renji and Ichigo, running through the four seasons, and showing the progress of their relationship. Will Ichigo confess his love? Will Renji accept? What about the new threat that rules Hueco Mundo? Disclaimer in ch 3! Rated M!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, everyone! I've come to give you guys the starting chapter of a small writing project I have started on. It's a Renji/Ichigo (vice versa as well, *wink wink*) series running through four parts (the seasons). Corny I know, but I thought it would be nice to portray their relationship through the longer term. I absolutely adore the pairing, it's probably the only one I'll ever get attached too. I don't have a beta reader/editer, so forgive any minor errors you come across. Reviews are always much appreciated. The first few chapters are a little short, and contain quite a bit of recount, so please bear with it, things will get better, I promise! *pleading eyes* Have fun reading !

Seasons of love

Part 1- Spring

**Chapter 1- Peace and solitude**

Wind swept lightly through the long grass lining the sidewalk, making it sway gently from side to side. Spring had come, bringing with it new life, peace and a profound dash of colour to the landscape. A tall teenager with a shockingly noticeable head of orange hair strode along the road, headed for a welcoming building, adorned with the letters 'Karakura High'. School term had resumed, and Kurosaki Ichigo was returning for another year of monotonous classes, homework and exams. At least this year he probably wouldn't need to dash out constantly, chasing after some Hollow that had unceremoniously appeared in the real world, for Aizen had been defeated, eradicating the one major threat to the real world.

Unknown to the countless people of the real world, except, of course, for Ichigo's small band of close friends, Ichigo played an exceedingly major role in Aizen's fall, aiding Seireitei in its crucial joint assault on the last of the Vasto Lordes and Aizen himself. The victory was a turning point in the protection of the Spirit King and indeed the history of Soul Society. The battle, though, took its toll on Ichigo, both physically and mentally. He still had unsettling flashbacks during the night, making him toss and turn and wake up abruptly, breathing heavily.

It felt like a long time since he left.

~2 weeks ago

_The hardest decision now, for Ichigo, was leaving Soul Society. So many friends and trusted comrades he had to leave behind, to return to his original life, with only Chad, Inoue and Ishida coming back with him. Ichigo knew that, without a suitable threat to keep him anymore, he had to depart to the real world. It might seem strange that he was this reluctant, but if anyone cared to delve deeper into Ichigo's mind, they would have realized that the whole damn thing was caused by one person, more so than anyone else._

_Abarai Renji._

_Ichigo had fallen for the redhead, and fallen__**hard**__. The first time he realized these feelings was during the Bounto affair, when Renji was sent to the real world to aid him. During this period, Renji progressed from being a mere fellow Shinigami to turning out to become one of Ichigo's best friends. Fighting back to back through several battles and living amongst each other, they forged a close bond consisting of trust and friendship. Truth be told, he had probably felt this way towards the redhead even before this, just didn't realize it._

_Ichigo, however, found himself desperately wanting their relationship to continue escalating. He found himself staring at his Renji during class and sneaking glances at his friend's glistening body when they washed up after training sessions at Urahara's place. He longed for the physical contact that he felt when sparring with Renji and loved the way his voice sounded so enticing when he spoke in that unique Rukongai accent. At night, his mind provided highly arousing images of a stark naked Renji in all his tattooed glory, lying on his bed, sleeping next to him. Ichigo tried to deny this change, tried to convince himself that he was straight, and not interested in Renji at all, but soon realized it was all in vain. It had to be predestined; he liked him in__**that**__way. Great._

_Of course, Ichigo, kept it to himself, tightly bottled up, in fear of being discovered. He knew intuitively that Renji would not return his feelings; he was obviously infatuated with Rukia, for goodness' sake! So he masked the feelings he had for the redhead, continuing like nothing had happened, often having to restrict himself from letting his eyes wander. If he revealed the secret and was rejected, which was very likely to happen, all his pride would be gone, and he would be ridiculed everywhere._

_What Ichigo hadn't foreseen, though, was that over the course of a few months, his longing multiplied tenfold. During the times when Renji had to go back to Soul Society and fulfill his duties there, he ached with loneliness, the sort that he had felt only when his mother had died. With no other choice, Ichigo began to touch himself at night, slowly working his painfully erect member until he exploded in bliss, long, milky white strands released onto his abdomen. He always ended up crying Renji's name during the mind-blowing orgasm; Renji's imaginary muscled, tattooed body was the sole thing able to drive him over the edge. After roughly cleaning himself up, he would fall asleep within a matter of seconds. The upside was that the bad dreams (they had not become nightmares yet) lessened, but the downside was that his dreams took a sharp turn, becoming noticeably more erotic._

_Soon though, the Winter War had come, and Ichigo could finally forget about his lust for the Shinigami lieutenant, pushing himself to his limits to become stronger. He was so exhausted after the constant battles and training that nothing else mattered. Tackling with his inner Hollow and treading on the edge of death constantly, idling was not an option. He had to become stronger, and he did._

_But the love he had felt came back and bit him right on the ass, as soon as the War ended. He couldn't leave Renji; he couldn't face living in the real world all alone again. So Ichigo did something quite unprecedented, in a desperate attempt to have something to hold on to when he left._

_"Zangetsu."_

_"__**I am here.**__" A tall figure clad in black robes appeared next to Ichigo, balanced precariously upon a wickedly sharp, jet black blade._

_"I…need something that I hope you can help me with."_

_"__**We are part of the same soul; I already know what you seek.**__"_

_"Then will you help me?" The tension in the air was clearly apparent._

_"__**I will try. You do realize the consequences if people were to find out?**__"_

_"Yes. I have to do this; I need it to remember him." The determination in Ichigo's voice was easily noticeable. He wanted this._

_"__**Then it is decided.**__"_

_"I like him…a lot…do you think I'm in l-love?"_

_"__**Only time will tell. It's clear to me that you have deep feelings for him.**__" With those ambiguous words, he disappeared._

_The next day, during the last spar Ichigo was having with Renji before leaving for the real world, he took something from redhead. Being as unaware as Renji always was during their fighting, he didn't even notice. He was careful to store it, making sure it did not reveal itself within Soul Society's boundaries. All too soon, he was standing in front of the Senkaimon, friends and onlookers gathered around, wishing him well and bidding their goodbyes. Rukia and Renji were standing next to him, Inoue, Chad and Ishida all preparing to leave. Rukia reached up and gave Ichigo a warm and tight hug, tears slowly leaking out of her eyes as she whispered, "See you, Ichigo." He returned the embrace whole-heartedly, willing himself to give a small smile to her, even if he felt terrible inside. After Rukia released him, Renji stepped towards him, traditional wolfish grin plastered over his face. Ichigo tensed, fearing his embrace would break the resolve he had carefully built for going home. None came. Renji merely gave him a good-natured punch on the shoulder._

_"Goin' home already, Strawberry?" Ichigo twitched at the nickname, face drawing into a scowl._

_"Yeah I am, Pineapple, and you can be sure I won't be missin' you." The rebuff was meant as a passing joke, but Ichigo felt something inside him twinge with…guilt?_

"_Heh. Ya sure are a hasty one, Ichigo. Well I guess this is it. See ya around, Strawberry…or not." Ichigo didn't miss the sudden sad glint that appeared in Renji's eyes at those words, or the slight downwards twitch of the smile that seemed eternally spread over his face. The dam inside him burst at that, and shit, it hurt…more than Zabimaru carving through his shoulder, even more than Ulquiorra blowing a hole through his chest._

_Ichigo reached out with one hand, and pulled, none too gently, the redhead into a rough embrace. The warmth he felt when they made contact was undeniable, and it helped to wipe away the embarrassment he felt at the abrupt action. "Damn…guess I will miss you…a bit." Ichigo bit down lightly on his lip, to stop a flood of words coming out._

"_Ichigo…there's no need ta worry. We might still meet up again. I mean if a Hollow popped up, an' even ya couldn't deal with it, I'm sure I'd hafta come lend ya a hand." Ichigo gave a small chuckle at that, drawing himself out of the embrace._

"_Like I'd need your help. You're havin' a hard enough time trying to surpass Byakuya, I doubt you'd make an impact."_

"_Ya did not just say that, Strawberry. You're seriously pushin' it." To be honest, Renji felt, to a certain degree, regret that the orange-haired Shinigami Daiko had to leave. He had grown used to his company, become accustomed to someone who he could easily talk to and hang out with. They had fought, saved each other's lives countless times and travelled through thick and thin…together. Now he was leaving, and Renji knew that he would feel a little empty in the days afterwards. The sudden embrace came as a shock, but he gladly accepted it, feeling a little more comforted himself. He sensed something different about Ichigo's reiatsu, but decided not to comment on it.__**Probably just his Hollow playing up.**_

_They ended up having another shouting match, but it didn't last very long, nor was there any real anger behind the argument. To anyone else who spotted the two, it would seem that they were just venting some frustration over the departure._

_Ichigo stepped lightly into the portal of shimmering blue and white light, looking back one last time before zipping away. The last thing he spotted was the slightly curious expression on Renji's face. Perhaps he had let loose the controls on his reiatsu a little__**too**__much during the last few minutes. Oops. He probably wouldn't find out anyway._

Striding the last few steps to the open gates of the school, Ichigo greeted an ecstatic Keigo dashing towards him in the usual manner. By clothes-lining him.

"Yo."

"Why are you so m-" Mizuiro, tapping away on his cell phone as usual, trampled Keigo's sprawled body, muffling the complaint.

"Sorry, Keigo. Didn't see you there." The apology was replied by a groan of pain.

"Good morning Kurosaki-kun!" The orange-haired girl came into sight, positively bouncing with energy.

"Good morning Inoue."

Chad passed by, giving him the thumbs up sign, and Ishida nodded when Ichigo spotted him. Ichigo settled down in the classroom, quickly checking off all the familiar faces inside. Tatsuki, Chizuru, Inoue, Ishida, Chad…they were all in the same class again. Then he spotted the desk next to him and the one behind that, and a pang of sadness hit him. Rukia…Renji, they weren't there anymore. The classroom definitely seemed a lot emptier without the two boisterous individuals.

It wasn't enough…what he had taken from Renji could only remind him of his presence. He desperately wanted to see him, in flesh, again.

~1 week ago

_Nothing had come to reprimand him and send him back to Soul Society. Finally, Ichigo felt safe enough to set it free. He sat down on his bed, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. He entered his inner world, and spotted it instantly. There it was…a strand, red in colour, swaying gently, moving around the realm._

"_**The retrieval was successful.**__" Zangetsu manifested in front of his eyes._

"_I guess that we're okay then?"_

"_**Yes.**__" Ichigo promptly withdrew himself from his inner world._

_His mind focused on that strand of red reiatsu, Ichigo pushed it downwards, deeper and deeper. It travelled slowly, inching towards the goal. Soon, he could feel it reaching the area where his reiatsu was stored. Sweat had started to dampen Ichigo's hair, little droplets making their way down the angular cheekbones. He had never been good at control, the pressure from the process was astoundingly hard to contain. He carefully manoeuvred the thread so that it floated towards one of the central reiatsu strands. In a split second, it connected._

_Ichigo felt the contact before he saw it, red joining with red and expanding. The sensation was uncomfortable, but he steadied himself, forcing the reiatsu to merge, entwining the two strands together. The twin reiatsu began to coalesce, starting from the bottom and gradually working its way up. The whole time, Ichigo had to carefully contain the reaction, making sure it did not combust and spiritually damage himself. Finally, the large string turned a violet colour, calmed down and pulsed comfortably. Ichigo carefully withdrew from the depths of his mind and resurfaced. He instantly knew something had changed._

_He felt different. He felt warm, and the loneliness he had felt was dissipating, replaced by a feeling of being constantly caressed in an embrace. Best of all, it felt like it was Renji holding him.__Of course it would. I did take a portion of__**his**__reiatsu, not anyone else's__.__This is worth it. This feeling, nothin' can compare to it …well, except for him actually bein' here.__It felt so right, like he had finally found another part of him. Ichigo had become used to isolation; he didn't let anyone into his personal life, particularly in the emotions sector. The new feeling of being constantly embraced by one of his best friends was quite foreign. But he liked it. Of course, he would have to remove the connection when in public. He didn't need anyone finding out._

Ichigo sat down in his seat with a sigh, dumping his bag and pulling out the new textbook. The title declared: "Functions and spherical trigonometry". Wonderful. He flipped open the first page and the topic sentence jumped out. "A function is like a toaster. It takes something in, and spits something out." He laughed at that. Then, he realised. _Heck, Renji wouldn't even know what a toaster__**is**__._ That really made him laugh, an image of the startled redhead looking at the absurd analogy, heavily confused, worming its way into his mind. The bell rang. _Darn, class has started._

~Chapter 1 Omake

J: Me

J: So guys, what did you think of the first installment?

Renji/Ichigo: Zzzzzzzzz…

J: … WAKE UP! I'M ASKING FOR SOME FEEDBACK!

Ichigo: Huh? Oh, right. I fell asleep, I knew everything already.

J: That's the whole point! Don't you feel moved, that your love is being portrayed by someone other than yourself?

Ichigo: Who said it was love?

J: You totally suck at interpreting emotions.

Renji: Hellooo? First things first, what's with all this emo shit?

J: WHAT? Emo shit? It's called plot-building, you blockhead!

Renji: Well, where's the action, huh? An' the hot, hard sex?

Ichigo: Yeah, that's right. If you haven't noticed, I'm gettin' pretty pent up here.

J: Be patient, pleeeeease. That'll come later. Quit your yapping and gather up the draft papers you've messed up.

Renji: I feel like I'm at Urahara's again.

Ichigo: Ha ha ha. You know, you made a great servant, Mr. Freeloader.

Renji: You pickin' a fight?

Ichigo: Maybe I am. Haven't had a good one in ages.

Renji: Ya sure? Wait…I remember now…ya took a bit of my reiatsu! Thaaat's it, I've had enough! _Hoeru, Zabimaru!_

J: Not in h-…Ahhhhhhhhh! *runs away as quickly as short legs will allow *


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the next installment in Spring. Thanks for the reviews received for the first chapter. Much appreciated. After this chapter, the chapters become longer, so they will take more time to write. Please be patient. Right now I'm juggling a few things at once, so I'll try my best. Arigatou gozaimasu!

**Chapter 2- Disturbance**

_Another one. That made six this morning. What in the world was going on?_ A jagged stick of chalk came flying through the air, hitting Ichigo square in the face, shaking him from the depths of thought.

"Listen, Kurosaki! Stop daydreaming and pay attention to the board!"

"Sorry." She didn't realize how hard it was to focus right now. Not with all the strange reiatsu pulses every fifteen minutes or so. He couldn't work out the source, but it definitely felt foreign, and a little…menacing? Ichigo glanced over at Ishida and their eyes met. _He knows. He's got better reiatsu detection skills than me, I wonder if he's figured out where it's coming from?_ He could also feel that the reiatsu was very strong, on par with a captain of the Gotei 13. But it couldn't be a Shinigami; that much was quite obvious. It felt too much like a Hollow. This was spelling trouble.

In a flash, the reiatsu solidified, turning into a constant wavelength. Ichigo jolted upright, the sudden surge acting as an electric shock. It was a Hollow, alright, and it felt highly dangerous. He quickly feigned a headache and shot his hand up.

"Yes, Kurosaki?"

"I think I need to see the nurse. I've got a bad headache and it's getting worse every minute."

"We'll accompany him there. Make sure he doesn't collapse." Ishida was the one who had talked, but Chad and Inoue were already standing next to him. The teacher ushered them out of the room, muttering under her breath.

"What do you think it is?" The small band moved quickly, Ichigo already out of his human body, having deposited it on the verandah of Urahara's Shoten. Hopefully, he would keep it safe, or he would make sure to pummel him.

"It's definitely a Hollow, and its reiatsu is similar to an Espada's. You don't think one of them survived?" Ishida's summary was succinct, but didn't give much new information. They drew closer and closer, the distinct reiatsu acting like a beacon. Ichigo flash-stepped the last corner and saw it.

The Hollow was…different. Covered from head to toe with bandages, it was gathering a crowd of civilians, all entranced in a state of mindlessness. The Hollow's eyes were the only part of its body that could be seen. They were constantly changing in colour, shifting from green to red, then brown. _When did something like this ever exist?_ Ishida was the first to initiate an attack, using Hirenkyaku to flash next to the Hollow, before quickly releasing an array of ice blue arrows. They hit the body spot on…and went through? No, they were… absorbed! The Hollow's bandaged head snapped towards the Quincy, its hand shooting out and extending at a lightning-quick pace. Ishida flashed away at the last second, narrowly dodging the impact. Ichigo quickly intervened when the other hand launched itself as well, blocking it with his blade just as Ishida re-appeared behind him. So, the Hollow was quick…and smart. The power behind the arm was undeniably strong, and Ichigo was pushed back a few steps by the collision.

"Getsuga…Tenshou!" The blue crescent carved a path downwards, rushing towards the Hollow. The hand whipped back, meeting the wave of reiatsu just before it reached its body. The solid sapphire reiatsu suddenly dissipated, leaving the Hollow completely unharmed. What happened?

"I see that I stand outnumbered." The voice of the Hollow was clear and sharp.

"Who are you and what are you doing in the real world, Hollow?" Ichigo's stance did not waver as he spoke. _He can't be taken lightly._

"You do not need to know. We rule Hueco Mundo now, and Soul Society will soon crumble under our might." The body of the Hollow began to disappear, vanishing into thin air. The last thing Ichigo heard before it completely faded away was one haunting sentence.

"Thank you for defeating Aizen." The foreign reiatsu evaporated along with the Hollow, leaving nothing behind. The bystanders seemed to regain their senses, rushing away, looking only mildly dazed.

Inoue made quick work of the few small cuts Ichigo had obtained from the fight and together, the group of four made their way to back to Urahara's Shoten, thoroughly puzzled. _Rulers of Hueco Mundo? Aizen? This doesn't make sense at all._ Ichigo's face was drawn into a deep scowl, thinking furiously about the recent encounter.

"You say that your arrows and Kurosaki-san's Getsuga Tenshou both disappeared when they made contact with the Hollow?" The shopkeeper pulled his fan out with a flourish, covering his lower face as he interrogated Ichigo and the others.

"Yes. It didn't seem like the Hollow merely blocked it; it was more like absorption of some type." Ishida was deep in thought, but contributed to the question with the tentative reply.

"Well then, I am quite certain that this particular Hollow you encountered must be able to absorb reishi, even when highly concentrated."  
>Urahara closed his fan with a snap and looked pointedly at Ichigo. "Which means using offensive reiatsu-based attacks against it is useless, unless you can exceed the concentration limit which it can safely absorb."<p>

"You mean either I hafta keep attackin' it directly using Zangetsu or fire a Getsuga Tenshou when in Bankai or Hollow form?" The scowl on Ichigo's face lessened slightly, as the dilemma became clearer.

"Precisely. Which means Ishida-san will also have to put more reiatsu behind the arrows he fires, or they will be useless."

"Thanks, Urahara. I guess we'll all be goin' now. It's gettin' late. Thanks for the tea, Ururu." They stood up, bid the shopkeeper good night and left.

The shopkeeper remained at the table, contemplating. _I felt the reiatsu of that Hollow all the way here. Something seemed horribly off about it. Time to do some research…_

Ichigo opened his bedroom door and sat down on his bed, rubbing his eyes. He hadn't had such an eventful day for quite a while. He let the small portion of Renji's reiatsu re-attach itself, the warmth bolstering him and pushing the troubles of the day out of his mind. The bond, albeit being miniscule, relieved him and he quickly slipped into sleep, the feeling of Renji's arms around him a welcome lullaby.

_I could see it. I was dead. My body was lying in front of me. Inoue was calling out to me. I saw the gaping hole in the middle of the chest, the eyes glassy and rid of all emotion._

_I saw myself transform. Saw the crimson and black reiatsu blossoming and billowing from my body as I Hollowfied. I saw the hole in my chest become the hole of a full Hollow. My orange hair grew longer, the mask on my face extended, growing two twisted horns. I heard myself roar in fury, reiatsu constantly rising. There he was…Ulquiorra, in his Resureccion form, eyes widening as he beheld my metamorphosis. I saw myself fire the blazing red Cero, saw myself sever the fourth Espada's body in half. But something was wrong, something was__**very**__wrong._

_In the corner of my vision I saw a red-haired Shinigami, hair tied up into a spiked ponytail. What was Renji doing here? Wasn't he fighting elsewhere? I saw myself lift up Zangetsu to deal the final blow. But I stopped…midway. Renji had clasped my forearm tightly._

"_Tha's enough, Ichigo." I saw myself continue to struggle against the grasp._

"_I said tha's ENOUGH, Ichigo." This time, I knew what was going to happen. I tried to scream "NO!" but no sound came out. I was forced to watch as I turned and thrust my zanpakuto into Renji, not in the stomach like I was supposed to, but straight through the heart. I saw him fly backwards through the air, Zangetsu still protruding from his chest, and land with a heavy thud. I saw the blood spurt everywhere and the stunned look on Renji's face. His breath became laboured as he struggled to pronounce his next words. "Why? Why did ya betray me? I...I loved ya, Ichi…Why…did…ya-" I saw the light slowly disappear from his eyes, his face slumping to one side. No…no…this was not happening…it couldn't be…_

Ichigo woke up with an enormous jolt. "RENJI!"

He realized he was in bed. He wasn't a Hollow anymore, nor was he in Hueco Mundo. He was in bed, in the real world, and Renji wasn't there. Ichigo let out a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he had been holding. Everything was alright. _Damn nightmares are back. Scares the shit outta me sometimes. It felt so real…fuck…if he had really died…_A soft knock on his bedroom door made Ichigo jump. "Ichi-nii, are you alright?" Yuzu's voice was sleepy, but still sounded worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Yuzu. Go back to bed, there's no need to worry. Just had a bad dream."

"Alright. See you in the morning." Yuzu's light footsteps could be heard receding down the hallway. She was always the one to care most about him. After Ichigo's mother died, Yuzu had felt responsible for the household, doing the cooking and the cleaning everyday. She became the anchor of the whole family, keeping them sane and functional. Ichigo felt slightly guilty for this, but he knew, Yuzu's attitude couldn't be changed.

It was going to be another long night.

~Chapter 2 Omake

Renji: Where…is…it?

J: I…I'm sorry! I haven't gotten up to that bit yet. Please just restrain yourself.

Renji: Ya realize I get really angry when I don't get my fun?

Ichigo: Don't be so hot-tempered, Ren. You still owe her the draft papers you completely sliced up from last time.

Renji: Ya know, you're turning me on by saying my nickname so publicly.

J: Woah, woah, guys! You're getting too far ahead.

J: …

J: Stop…now.

J: This is useless.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This is the chapter where things start setting into motion. It's longer than the previous chapters and therefore took longer to write. Sorry for the wait. Please leave reviews if possible, as they always help any author continue their writing journey.

Now for something that I forgot that is VERY important.

DISCLAIMER: All the characters mentioned in this story are owned by Tite Kubo and all the people involved in the production of Bleach. No money is being made through the publishing of the story.

Phew. Managed to remember before someone decided to throw me in jail.

**Chapter 3- Surprises**

In an instant, the sun transformed the night into a red haze of cloud and sky. Dawn had broken, bringing another seemingly ordinary day into existence. Time travelled slowly here. Compared to the workings of the Shinigami realm, time here seemed to be progressing at a snail's pace. Such trivial things did not matter today. Today was special; different.

A circular shape materialized in the brightening sky, growing in size until it was roughly a human's height in diameter. A set of doors appeared, windows shining brightly, bathing the immediate area with white light. Unseen to the occupants of the town, two black butterflies fluttered out of the open doors. Two figures, clad in black robes, followed, striding out of the gate. They observed the surroundings for a few seconds before vanishing into thin air, the slight hissing sound the only reminder of them ever being there.

"GOOD MOOOOORNING, ICHIGO!" Kurosaki Isshin was suddenly airborne, flying from the ceiling for a drop kick. Ichigo woke with a start, launching into a sitting position, arms first. Both arms punched the flying man in the gut, sending him catapulting across the room, into the bedroom wall.

"Hey dad." This man was currently on the floor, lying on his back.

"I'm so proud of you, son. You're so strong, daddy is so happy." The tears flowing out of his eyes were totally at odds with the goofy smile he was wearing.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, now shut up." Ichigo dressed quickly, grabbed a piece of toast from the table and left for school with a fading "See you, Yuzu, Karin!"

Two teenagers walked through the gates of the school, and were greeted with a sudden rush of enthusiastic people. "You're back!" "Where did you go?" The two questions were echoed by most of the group present.

"Just over some issues. You don't need to bother, they're not that important." The shorter of the two was the one that answered. She looked towards the other, and he nodded. "What issues? Come on, we want to know!" Keigo was the one who posed the question, eyes shining with curiosity. He never got a reply. The bell rang, and the unconvinced crowd was forced to dissipate.

Ichigo was one of the last few students to enter the classroom, bag slung over his shoulder, whistling a tune that he had picked up. The traditional scowl was still in place, despite the seemingly good mood he was in. His eyes traversed the room, a habit that he had developed.

Ichigo froze on the spot, feeling like someone had just placed a Bakudo on him. What…was this? He blinked. _Am I dreaming? What are they doing here?_He was staring at the two people currently sitting atop the desk next to his, like they were ghosts. "Rukia?...Renji? What-"

"are we doing here?" The black-haired girl finished the sentence for him. "We'll tell you later." Ichigo continued to stand there, mouth slightly open, looking dazed?

"Oi, stop gawkin'!" The other person, a red-haired male with visible tattoos on his forehead and chest came up to Ichigo, and slapped his palm on Ichigo's shoulder, breaking him from his shock.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Ichigo gave Renji an accusatory stare. _They're back…he's back. But why?_ A scene abruptly played itself through his mind, making him tingle from head to toe, a red tinge creeping into his cheeks.

_He was in his bedroom, pressed against the wall, staring into Renji's red-tinged black eyes, clouded with pleasure from the intense kiss they were in. His mouth was being smothered by the other's, lips completely connected. Their tongues were joined, sliding over each other and intertwining themselves as they battled. His hands were tangled in the redhead's crimson hair, let down from its usual ponytail. The other's strong body was pressed against his, pushing theirs chests together. He felt complete, blissfully complete. "I love the way ya taste, Ichi." Renji's deep, rough voice was seducing him, making him want more. More…_

"Ichigo, are ya alright? Ya seem ta be spacin' out a lot today." Hoping that the redhead hadn't noticed him blushing, he walked to his desk, plonking himself in the seat.

"I'm fine. It's not like I want you to be here, so drop the 'concerned' act." Ichigo could feel his cheeks flushing again. _I don't__**want**__you here, I__**need**__you here. I need you next to me, I need your mouth on mine. I need to touch your strong, warm body, to caress it and kiss it._ He quickly shut out his thoughts before they overloaded, saving himself and his pride just in time.

"Suit yaself. Wouldn't matter even if ya did want me here." The passing comment struck him over the head. He glanced over at Renji. He looked completely relaxed, unaware of the magnitude of that one sentence. _Does he know?_ Ichigo's pace quickened, a tinge of fear creeping into his mind. _No…there's no way. I'm so stupid, reacting whenever he says something. Get a grip!_He knew that if the redhead found out, there would be no end to the teasing comments. A silhouette of Renji popped into his mind, laughing wildly. _HAHAHA…ya liked me? Ya crack me up, Ichigo, ya really do. Besides, I'm not inta guys, so I wouldn't choose ya anyday._Their hard-earned relationship would be in shambles, slowly drifting apart from each other.

Renji would get married, have a family. Ichigo knew this, and he was willing to accept it, as long as they could still see each other. As long as they were still friends, he could handle living in solitude. If they were separated, though… _Life would be hell._ Ichigo's subconscious answered that question for him in a split second. His mind shifted to wondering who he would get engaged with. He was placing his bets on Rukia; they had been friends since they were still small children. Renji shared some deep bonds with her, so the idea of them getting married was plausible. Ichigo wasn't one to feel jealous; that was one of the emotions he almost never experienced. Sometimes, though, he still felt a little regret over his seemingly dead-ended relationship with the redhead.

Sometime during his thoughts, he remembered that there were now two Shinigami in the same classroom as him. Ichigo hastily pushed the strand of Renji's reiatsu further apart from his, making sure it was completely isolated and unidentifiable. It had been trying to mesh again, and right now that could be extremely dangerous. _If they sense it and find out, my cover will be completely blown._

The history class flew by, Ichigo not taking in much of what the teacher said. _She was talking about shoguns and daimyos, I think…_Lunch time had come, and the two newcomers joined Ichigo, Chad, Inoue and Ishida under the large oak tree in the yard.

"So why are you two here?" Ichigo had spent too much time wondering in class, and his curiosity was at breaking point.

"Why else?" Rukia's eyes were serious. _So it's Soul Society's orders._"Yesterday, strange reiatsu signatures were detected in the real world. Right after the signature stabilized and was recognized by Soul Society's systems as a high-class Hollow, you guy's reiatsu was detected at the scene. The Hollow's signature disappeared quickly afterwards."

Renji filled them in on the rest. "A captain's meetin' was called shortly after, an' it was decided tha' one Division would be in charge a' investigatin' the issue. Me an' Rukia volunteered our Division, since we both knew the most about the real world out of all the Shinigami in the Gotei 13. So here we are, ta help you." He leaned over and whispered to Ichigo, "I told ya. Knew ya would need help." Ichigo pushed him away, scowling.

"Shut up Renji. Did you come all this way just to tease me?" Then Ichigo realized something. "Wait a minute…did you say 'our division'?" Renji's grin grew wider.

"Did ya notice? I'm taichou a' the Fifth Division now an' Rukia's my fukutaichou. Ya know, ya should've addressed me as Abarai-taichou."

"No way in a million years, Pineapple. Just because you got promoted, doesn't mean I can't whoop your ass in a fight." Renji flushed at that, pushing his head forward so that his forehead was jammed against Ichigo's.

"Ya wanna test your luck, Strawberry?" Ichigo found himself face to face with Renji. _Dammit. I forgot the habit he has for doing this._ He could feel Renji's breath on his face, sending tingles running down his spine from the proximity. He looked into those two red and black orbs, enchanted by the intensity of his challenging glare. His eyes travelled upwards, landing on the eyebrows. Ichigo was always amazed by how they joined and linked with the tattoos on his forehead. He teased the redhead about them, but inside, he thought they suited him. There was also his blood-red hair, his sharp chin and his angular cheekbones. Everything about him seemed to radiate perfection, alongside a roughness that Ichigo had grown to admire.

Ichigo's found that he could've stared at Renji's face for all eternity. But, he was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to touch it. He wanted to actually feel Renji's skin under his hand, so that he would remember the warmth of it when he wasn't around. Of its own accord, his hand began to rise, rising slowly up a path that's end was the Shinigami's cheek. Before he got the chance to make contact though, his wrist was grabbed by Renji's.

"Whatcha doin'? Never knew ya were the type a' person who slaps." He looked amused by the orange-haired teenager's sudden action. Broken from the trance that he was in, Ichigo shook his hand from the other's grasp. Before he got the chance to spit out a retort, he found his head bashed against Renji's.

"Do you two do anything apart from fight and bicker with each other?" Rukia looked clearly annoyed as she lifted her palms from their heads and sat down. Both of them placed a hand to their forehead simultaneously, rubbing the swelling bruise that had appeared there.

"Damn, she packs a punch when she's angry." Ichigo decided not to argue with that; it was true anyway. They settled back, and resumed the conversation they had been having.

"So how long are you staying for?" Inoue had joined in, brimming with interest over the arrival of her two friends. Ichigo could sense what the answer would be. _It sounds like they'll be here for quite a while._

"Well, until things get better, I guess. Could take a long time, for all we know." Ichigo could tell that Rukia was quite happy about the statement she had made. _Guess she likes being in the real world._

Renji, on the other hand, suddenly looked downright gloomy. Ichigo was surprised by that. _What's making him wear that expression?_ He decided to question it.

"Hey, Renji, what's got you all down?"

"Dammit! I'm not spendin' my time here at Urahara's. Not again. I can't bear it there, bein' treated like a servant an' all."

Rukia was quick to reply. "Come on, it's not that bad! You just don't know how to get your act together!"

"If ya think it's tha' easy, try it then! I might have ta cancel the mission at this rate!" Renji's annoyance gave way to full-blown anger.

Rukia stood up. "Fine, I will! How about this? I'll go live at Urahara's and you can stay at Ichigo's place. Happy?"

Ichigo's attention spiked at that. "What? No way!" _I'm not having him in my room!_

"For once, co-operate Ichigo! Let him stay at your place or I swear the next time you leave your body at Urahara's, I'll have him strip you naked and throw you onto the street!"

That shut everyone up, including Ichigo, who looked quite shocked at the rebuttal. _Guess she has some good tricks up her sleeve._ He scowled, feeling annoyed at the development._Damn, I'll just have to deal with it. Well, having Renji crashing at my place isn't that bad, we are best friends after all. Better than Rangiku, anyhow._

Renji was surprised. _This is unexpected. Never knew I'd end up stayin' at Ichigo's place. I guess Rukia decided that she does need some leg room; Ichigo's cupboard musta been a pretty bad place ta sleep. Ha! Wait until ya have to do the chores at Urahara's. He'll have ya running out the door in no time._

Somehow, he liked the idea of staying at Ichigo's. One positive factor would be that he definitely would not get bored. The second would be that he could finally spend some time with the Shinigami Daiko.

After Ichigo left, Soul Society had become horribly boring for Renji. He had never realized just how much he enjoyed the other's company. He had missed the fights they had, the electricity running through his blood as they sparred, the relaxed conversations they enjoyed together. By the time the first month since Ichigo's departure came (remember that time in Soul Society travels at around thrice the speed of time in the real world), things had gotten pretty clear.

~2 weeks ago (Soul Society time)

_"Dammit! How can there be so many documents when it's not even wartime?" Renji's fist collided with the tabletop, causing one of the calligraphy brushes to topple out of its holder, splattering the desk with a dollop of lumpy, black ink. He glared at the stack of papers in front of him, cursing it. If looks could smoulder, then the paperwork would have burst into flames. "I should be outside, takin' in the fresh air an' sparrin'. You've completely ruined my day!"_

_Rukia walked in, taking in the scene in front of her.__Well, look what we have here. The captain of the 5th Division is shouting at his desk.__She made her way over to where Renji was standing. "Renji! Stop shouting, I need to talk to you!" Renji looked up, face a little red from his ranting. "Sorry, Rukia, didn't see ya there. Yeah, what is it?"_

_"I've been notified that there's a Captains meeting in half an hour." Renji groaned and muttered something that sounded like "Go on, make my day even worse." "Finish as much of the paperwork as you can in the time before the meeting. After that, I'm letting you go find someone to spar with. I can see that you really need to blow off some steam. I'll fill in the rest of the papers."_

_Renji was slightly stunned by that, but quickly accepted the offer.__Anythin' ta get away from this._

_"Thanks, Rukia. Ya know, ya really are a life-saver sometimes."_ _She gave a knowing smile in return, quickly pushing him down into his seat. "Now, work."_

_"Doesn't mean ya can boss me around. I'm the Taichou here." Rukia just rolled her eyes at the threat, before retreating to her desk._

_Later on, after Renji dragged himself through another painstakingly boring captains meeting, he found that no one was available to spar with. Ikkaku and Shuuhei were both out drinking, Byakuya was busy and he didn't dare ask Kenpachi, in fear of being mortally wounded.__Shit, ain't there anyone up for a fight? My first time off work, an' everyone winds up busy? Dammit, just wish Ichigo were here. At least he's always up for a sparrin' session.__He ended up having to train by himself, working on refining his tactical skills. It was boring business, and he would've preferred if someone was there to be an opponent._

_He walked back to his quarters, feeling angry and dejected.__Such a stupid day. I don't get how the last month has been so fucked up.__He ended up lying on his futon, staring at the ceiling and thinking.__Ever since Ichigo left, I've been feelin' so unsettled. Guess I really miss him…a lot. We had so much fun together, everythin' felt right when we were by each other's side, talkin' and fightin'. Now that he's left, I think I'm falling apart. Damn, do I actually like him more than a friend?__He couldn't deny that he did find the orange-haired boy attractive. He was strong, both physically and mentally, passionate and caring. They completely trusted in one another when they fought in battle, so much that they knew the other would be safe, without needing help. He always felt a spark ignite when he was in Ichigo's company, like they were meant to be together. Adding on the factor that they had become close friends, Renji began to realize just how much they had gone through. He was amazed that he hadn't thought about this sooner.__Guess you really only stop ta think about someone when they leave.__Something he was sure of was that the feeling he got when Ichigo was around was very different to what he felt whilst in Rukia's company. Could it be…a sign?_

_Renji was not considered a "kid" anymore in Shinigami society. He was 52 years old, and that was the prime time for any Shinigami to start getting into a relationship. He had quickly turned to the one person available in his life-Rukia. It had started off well, as a bit of fun and as an attempt to maybe forge something long-term. They had started dating, taking each other to different parts of Soul Society to enjoy late nights out. They had kissed, Rukia giggling wildly through it all. Soon, though, they realized that kissing was as far as it could go. Renji didn't feel anything that remotely resembled the sort of love that kept couples intact when they were together. Neither did Rukia. Everything was just for fun, and the notion of a real relationship between them was ridiculous. He gave up, realizing that Rukia was just too close to him. All he felt for her was a familial love, as she had become a sister to him. He would willingly die to protect her, but__**that**__kind of relationship between them was just absurd._

_Soon after, he was once again struck by another revelation. He liked the company of men to women. He felt tingles running down his body not when a woman with a huge set of breasts passed by, but when he saw a strong, male, Shinigami training with the top half of their hakama off, revealing their toned chest and abdomen. At first, the young Renji was horrified with the change, but soon, he embraced it, accepting it as part of him. He knew, though, that these things were not looked upon highly by Soul Society, so he put on a mask. Gradually, the mask became so attached that it seemed always on, so spotting Renji flirting and messing around with girls seemed to become part of everyone's perception of him. No one ever suspected._

_When Ichigo arrived in his life, the long abandoned fire inside of him seemed to start burning again. After he became an ally, they quickly established a friendship. At the time, Renji didn't think much of it. His inner desires had lain dormant for so long, re-awakening would take a long time._

_Only now, angry and a little lonely, thinking about the Shinigami Daiko while lying on his bed, did he realize that maybe…just maybe, the feelings that he had for Ichigo were different._

_So when he heard, 2 weeks after, that they needed a Division to volunteer to go to the real world, he submitted his interest in the matter almost immediately._

It ended up going pretty smoothly. Renji and Ichigo had walked back to the Kurosaki residence after school finished, Rukia tagging along just to make the explanations easier. To be honest, Renji didn't need much of an explanation. Isshin and Karin both knew the true identity of the redhead, as one was a fully fledged Shinigami and the other had been saved by him, whilst out of his gigai. Only Yuzu didn't know, as her spirit perception was shady at best. So, for her sake, Rukia had come along, imposing as Renji's cousin. She would tell Ichigo's youngest sister that he was homeless, and now that she had found a home, she was hoping that they could lend a helping hand to a relative in need. Obviously, the plan worked out well, with Yuzu bursting into tears, again, with pity and Isshin running to the poster of Ichigo's mother on the wall crying, "Oh, Masaki! Daddy has found another noble son!"

Rukia left shortly afterwards, shooting a withering glare at Renji when he cried out "Have fun at Urahara's!" They had dinner together, and it turned out to be quite a boisterous night. Renji had a knack of being able to fit in perfectly in any environment, and soon joined in with the wild conversation at the dinner table. He managed to tackle three conversations at once, answering Yuzu's questions, chatting loudly with Isshin as well as deflecting Karin's interrogative enquiries. He helped Yuzu with the cleaning up afterwards, somehow succeeding in jamming the dishwasher by placing all the plates backwards. That took Ichigo and Renji 20 minutes to undo, finally finding a method to extract the dishes without having to pull off the front hatch.

It was decided that Renji would have to sleep on the floor of Ichigo's bedroom, as the closet was much too small for someone as tall and broad as the redhead. Grudgingly, Ichigo managed to find a mattress and blankets to accommodate the new member of the household, warning him firmly that if he annoyed him during the night, there would be hell to pay in the morning. Ichigo didn't realize that what he really needed to worry about was still to come.

When Renji entered the bedroom right after he had showered, Ichigo just managed to stop a gasp escaping from his lips. The powerful Shinigami was standing in front of him, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Time seemed to stand still as he took in the amazing sight that had been presented to him. Renji's hair was down, still dripping slightly, the little droplets of water sliding down the strands of fiery hair to land on the broad shoulders of the man. His chest was covered by a striking pattern of tattoos, dark lines weaving their way over muscled flesh to join with the jagged lines running in a triple band down his biceps. One of his arms was currently resting in his hair, the hours of battle and hard training showing its influence on his body, as the muscles of his upper arm flexed, stretching the tattoo upwards over hard, smooth skin. The tattoos continued on the redhead's toned abdomen, the twin fanged black stripes travelling over rising and dipping planes of muscle to reach his waist. Renji radiated an aura of strength, which added to the stunning body of his made Ichigo want to tackle him right there and then, before exploring every centimetre of the Shinigami captain's body with his mouth and tongue.

Ichigo blushed heavily, turning away to resist the temptation as Renji asked, "Ya have any spare clothes here? I didn't bring any an' I don't wanna sleep naked." That statement made Ichigo feel like he was on fire, sending his pulse skyrocketing. _Not only do I want you to sleep naked, I want you to sleep in my bed, next to me, so that I can touch you._ He quickly pushed the thought away as desire shot through his mind again.

"Ahh, yeah, they're in the wardrobe over there. Just find something that fits you." He still had his head turned away. Renji frowned a little as he saw that Ichigo was determinedly looking away from him. He felt a small amount of disappointment thread its way through his mind. _Am I disgustin' him 'cause I only have a towel on? Damn, guess he really ain't inta guys._ He decided to query Ichigo's actions anyway.

"Ichigo? Why are ya lookin' away? Am I scarin' ya or somethin'? I know ya'd prefer Rukia ta be here but I'm tryin' my best alright?" Ichigo mentally released a sigh when he heard that. _Phew. He hasn't guessed. I'm safe for the time being._ He urged himself to return his gaze to Renji, cheeks inevitably colouring a little as he did so, but he ignored it.

"I know, I know. I'm just not used to it, that's all."

Renji decided in the next second that he would boldly make a move. He walked over to Ichigo's bed and sat down next to him, juggling his next words around in his head. "Yanno, when ya left Soul Society, it got so boring for me. No one there had the time ta spar with me, no one was interesting enough to talk to 'cept Rukia, so I felt angry an' sorta abandoned. I realized that I missed ya, Ichigo. I like havin' ya around, even when we get inta fights. You're fun an' you're a great friend."

When Ichigo heard those words come out of the mouth of Renji, his first reaction was of shock. _Who knew he actually did have feelings?_ Then, when he actually took in the context of his words, something inside him felt like it had burst. Emotion flooded through him, driving itself like a battering ram through his heart. It felt like he was falling, and a sense of dizziness overcame him. He desperately wanted to reach out, grab the Shinigami sitting next to him and seal his lips to the other's mouth. Fortunately, he managed to regain composure just in time, stopping himself from making any moves that he would regret.

Renji was lost in thought, feeling a little happier now he had revealed the reason behind everything bugging him. Without realizing, he leaned over, resting his head against Ichigo's shoulder, sighing. _We've gone through a war together, and now we finally get some time in private._

Ichigo stared at the head now located on his shoulder, and his heart began thumping violently. _He looks so relaxed. I've never seen him like this before. Never knew that he had this side as well._ _It's kinda weird, but I'm glad that I get to see that he can be nice when he wants to._ Sensing that Renji's position was making him enter the danger zone again, he slowly stood up, gently pushing the other's head off. "I'll go shower. We should get to bed soon; it's been a long day."

Renji couldn't help but feel a little rejected by Ichigo's actions. _Guess I was expectin' it anyway. Well, it did feel good. At least I get ta be around him now. Damn, I'm gettin' too soft._ All the way through his shower, Ichigo had been thinking. _What he said made me vulnerable for a second. I should really be more careful. Jumpin' at the small comments he makes. I'm expectin' too much! Stop and think about it! Renji will only ever regard me as a friend!_ He scrubbed a little too vigorously on his arms, causing the skin to turn a little red. He turned off the shower, toweled himself down and went back to his bedroom. Renji was already settled on his mattress, sitting there, having donned a singlet and, Ichigo noticed, a pair of his favourite underwear. That made him blush again. _What? For like the tenth time today? I feel like a freakin' girl._ "Hey, Strawberry, mind doing one last favour for me?" His usual attitude had returned.

"Yeah, what is it?" Ichigo didn't feel like starting an argument this late at night, so he just ignored the nickname.

"I usually sleep with my hair done up in a braid so it doesn't annoy me too much. I'm pretty tired, so could ya braid it for me?" Ichigo wavered at the sound of the bizarre and blatantly embarrassing request coming from Renji.

"Why the fuck would I do that?" _I'm not bein' his babysitter!_

"Well, unless ya wanna be woken up in the mornin' by me and ya dad throwing ya off the top a' the staircase." Renji was leering at him, his grin in place again.

"You wouldn't dare." The expression on the redhead's face seemed to say otherwise. Ichigo gave in. "Fine, you win. Come over here, don't blame me if I make pigtails instead."

"Heh. I know that ya can braid hair. Ya have two younger sisters, so obviously ya would've learnt how ta over the years." He was interrupted from further talk by a sharp tug on his hair.

"Hey! Watch it there! Wait a second, I'm moving over." Renji shifted his body so that he was sitting directly in front of Ichigos' bed. That gave Ichigo an unimpeded view of his back. Once again, he found himself at a loss for words.

Renji's back looked like a canvas, the black tattoos resuming, working from his shoulders down to his lower back. He felt a tingle run down his spine when he saw the two final fangs on the redhead's back point downwards, almost acting as an invitation for his eyes to travel lower, down to Renji's…_ass_. He stopped that track of thought just before the train his mind had been travelling on derailed. The muscles on the other man's back rippled whenever he moved himself, making Ichigo want to touch them using his hand, to map out each hard plane of his friend's body. He remembered what he should've been doing and moved his hands to the long, crimson mane of hair lying on Renji's shoulders. Ichigo ran his hand through, marveling at how soft and smooth it felt. He had always thought that it would feel rough, spiky almost. Clearly, the ponytail that Renji wore it in masked the real nature of his hair extremely well. It was the first time the orange-haired teen had ever touched any of his friends so intimately, but with Renji, it felt strangely right. He didn't feel embarrassed like he thought he would. On the contrary, it felt comfortable and pleasant. Ichigo worked quickly and efficiently, arranging the mass of hair in a neat braid and tying it off within a matter of minutes.

"See? It wasn't tha' hard was it?" Renji smirked at him, although the gratitude was clear.

"Shut up." Ichigo gave him a small smile, the first one for quite a while.

Ichigo turned off the lights and climbed into his own bed, feeling satisfied. _Maybe havin' him here won't be that bad after all._ With that comforting thought, he closed his eyes, ready for sleep to embrace him.

Then, Renji's spirit communicator went off, beeping like crazy.

~Chapter 3 Omake

J: …

J: Yesss! They're not here! Finally, some peace and quiet.

J: They're probably busy sparring.

Elsewhere…

Ichigo: Fuck! Be careful with that ball, Renji! It's heavy!

Renji: Well, I don't get the point of…bow-ling…is that what it's called?

Ichigo: Just chuck the ball down the lane and try to knock over the pins. I'm teachin' you something that should be so easy!

Renji: Actually, that is pretty simple! I bet I can beat ya.

Ichigo: Ha! Don't make me laugh, it's your first time playing this.

_Renji thrusts the ball on to the bowling lane and it starts rolling towards the pins_.

Renji: I'll get all the ten pins down, just you watch.

_The ball continues to roll towards the pins._

Renji: Hado no. 1- Sho!

_The ball_ _zooms into the pins, sending all of the flying. Four of the pins break with an almighty crack as the ball slams them into the back of the chute._

Renji: See?

Ichigo: WHAT…THE…FUCK! NO ONE SAID YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE KIDOU WHEN BOWLING!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Well, the 4th chapter is up! It's filled with a lot of action so I guess I can blame that for me taking a little longer. Sorry for the wait. THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS SO FAR, KEEP THEM COMING! I decided that our two protagonists should share some serious bonding (pun intended, you'll see. Noo! It's not bondage! Get your mind out of the gutter!) time so that they realise their true feelings for one another. That will be covered in much more depth through the next chapter. Remember that this collective *Spring* section of Seasons of Love will probably end up as something pretty long, so plot-building is quite important for me. Thanks for your understanding! Until next time! ^_^

**Chapter 4- Tribulation**

The two figures resting in the bedroom jumped up in a flash, both of their human bodies slumping back onto respective beds. Clad in black robes, one sporting orange hair and the other red hair, the two Shinigami jumped through the window and vanished into thin air, a nearby tree rustling from the slight draft. They travelled unnaturally quickly, disappearing and reappearing on various rooftops of the town, almost in synchronization with each other. They were being drawn to a place, where something had just materialized.

_What is it with these Hollow and appearin' at night? Can't I get any sleep for once?_ The scowl on Ichigo's face darkened further as the reiatsu pulsed again, malicious intent clear. He looked over at Renji, and saw him wearing a concentrated, almost calculating look on his face. _It's his first time facin' one of these. Guess he can't figure out what it exactly is as well._ His last encounter with the new breed of Hollow had been short, but enough to tell that they were formidable. Urahara's words came into his mind, clear as cathedral bells._It can absorb reishi, so attacks using high levels of reishi, like your Getsuga, are useless unless they manage to overpower the Hollow's intake limit._

So he would have to Hollowfy. Recently, Ichigo had managed to extend, once again, the amount of time he could hold onto his Hollow mask. He had trained hard and his reiatsu level continued to rise, making it easier for him to access the power granted through Hollowfication. His inner Hollow was being more co-operative, realizing that right now he did not have enough power to overthrow the "king" without killing himself in the process. _So I'm gettin' stronger. It looks like the Hollows are too._

Renji, however, had managed to refine his skills whilst in bankai state tenfold. His control, offense and defense had all improved, and his moves were no longer as predictable as they were before. Adding to that, he had become fast, enough to challenge even the likes of Soi Fong. Ichigo had watched the Shinigami improve over time and he had grown to respect Renji's undying attitude to become stronger, just like himself. He could see now, how the child who once lived in Rukongai's 78th District had clawed his way up to becoming a captain of the Gotei 13.

The two of them could fight on equal footing, each one's bankai no stronger than the others. This was the foundation for why they could completely trust each other in battle, as well as why they knew they didn't need to protect each other. When they fought, there would only be one sentence in their minds. _I have to win._ Ichigo remembered Renji once said, "Showing concern for a warrior on the battlefield is an insult to that warrior."

So as the two of them faced the enormous reiatsu that was drawing rapidly closer, fear did not find its way into either of them, pushed away by a stiff wall of resolve.

Ichigo could feel it. This one was different. Its reiatsu was a whole level higher than the last Hollow he had faced. _Well, I guess it's only fair since we got two people fightin' it this time._ He was assuming that Rukia wouldn't arrive in time, as she was currently located at Urahara's and that was quite a fair way away. _I've got to make this quick. Don't want it draggin' out and deprivin' me of my sleep._They flashed the last yard and stopped, taking in the sight of the Hollow in front of them.

Except there was nothing much to see. All that was there was a figure, human in size and stature, back turned to them, cloak floating in the wind. As they approached slowly, the figure turned around to face them, face hidden in the shadows of its hood. "Ahhhh…looks like you have finally arrived."

"What do you mean we've finally arrived? If you'd known we were comin', why didn't you come after us?" Ichigo was getting frustrated. _What a waste of time!_

"Why come after you when I knew you'd come to me?" The Hollow shook off its hood, revealing the face that was previously hidden. It looked almost human, if you didn't count the fact that its eyes were completely blue, with no irises or pupils. "I have come to issue a warning."

"Whatcha mean? Why would we need a warning from a Hollow?" Renji sounded curious rather than aggressive.

"We are no ordinary Hollows. We are the Vasqueta, the elite breed that has just graced the world through our presence." The Hollow did not move an inch, standing rooted to the spot, eyes glinting maliciously as it delivered its next words. "I will only say this once. Do not interfere; you will only make it harder for yourselves. Sooner or later, Soul Society will be ours. Once it falls, we will come and claim the human realm for ourselves as well. Resistance is futile; the cogs turning the gears of fate have already begun to spin."

"To hell with that! I'm sick of mutated Hollows turning up and vowing world domination! Nothing here is yours! You won't be able to take Soul Society and you're definitely not harming my town! Aizen tried and he failed, you're no different!" With that Ichigo dragged his hand over his face, his Hollow mask appearing instantaneously. He glanced over at Renji, who returned the minutest of nods. "Bankai!" The two shinigami shouted the two syllables together, red reiatsu emitted violently from both of them, hurtling towards the sky as they transformed.

"Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo was now clad in a set of tight-fitting black robes, the jagged tail of his cloak flapping violently in the resulting gust of wind. His mask was still intact, the black and yellow of his eyes showing from the slits. This was just one of the techniques he had managed to accomplish; he could now summon his Hollow mask even when he was not in Bankai.

"Hihio Zabimaru" The redhead's sentence was not shouted, yet still managed to project over the battlefield. He was now standing in the center of the coiled tail of Zabimaru's Bankai form, a fur cape draped over his shoulders, backbone of Zabimaru in hand. The heavy reiatsu emitting from him was palpable, emanating alongside Ichigo's. It would now have been almost impossible for any Shinigami below Fuku-taichou rank to breathe if they entered the vicinity, as the reiatsu was so overpowering.

Ichigo wasn't preparing to hold back. Black and red flames began to billow from his blade, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Zabimaru extend his head, rushing towards the Hollow, mouth open as it let out a scream. He flashed, landing behind the figure. Even as he lifted Zangetsu to strike, the Hollow turned its head, smiling at him and waving a hand. _What? Isn't he going to block?_ "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" The malevolent red and black crescent burst from the edge of Zangetsu, slicing a path towards the Hollow.

"Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji's call could be faintly heard as Zabimaru unleashed a massive burst of red reiatsu on the Hollow's front side, the blast's diameter equivalent to the Hollow's height. With an almighty explosion, the two attacks collided with the Hollow, creating a blinding flash of light. Reiatsu exuded from the aftermath of the combined assault, rippling over the two Shinigami standing unscathed in mid air. _It's dead. Nothing could survive that._ Ichigo turned to leave, feet already stepping away when a voice cut through the noise like a knife through butter, freezing him in his place.

"Why are you leaving? Did you think such paltry attacks would affect me?" As the smoke cleared, the Hollow stepped out, body completely unharmed. Ichigo's eyes widened, as Renji grimaced next to him.

"Damn, this one's tough. Ya up for it, Strawberry?" That brought a grin to his face. It was strange how his friend could make fighting enjoyable, almost.

"Hah. You bet." He turned around to face the Hollow again, Zangetsu's chain jingling slightly in the late night breeze. The Hollow opened its mouth to speak again. _He sure is talkative for a Hollow._

"Aizen was just another piece on the chess board. Let me tell you a bit about us. We are the top; the pinnacle of Hollow development which Aizen sought to achieve, but never obtained. Our rank system is completely identical to the dismal Espadas that you have previously fought, except that our numbers run from 1 to 20. You can't defeat me. I have merely come as a warning to you. I have shown you grace already." He lifted a hand to the top of his cloak , tugging it apart slightly so it revealed a number imprinted on his collarbone. _5_…

Without another word, the Hollow pointed a finger straight at the two Shinigami. "Cero…Absorbitas" A jet black ray exploded from the end of the Hollow's finger, spreading out rapidly into a cone shape, completely engulfing the nearby area.

Renji and Ichigo saw the blast coming, flashing away at the last split second before the black wave swallowed the place where they were previously located.

Ichigo was confused. _It's extraordinarily strong, and it's fast. Was that really a Cero? If I didn't dodge, it probably would've disintegrated my body! Damn it, he seems like an Espada._The voice of the Hollow rang out again. "I will say this once more, we are not Espada. They pale in comparison to us. We are the Vasqueta. And you, Kurosaki Ichigo, have the potential to be one of us. Which is why, today, you must die." The 5th Vasqueta abruptly disappeared from view.

Ichigo's body tensed at those words. He had always felt uncomfortable when his inner Hollow powers were discussed, especially when it was an enemy. _What does he mean? I have the potential to be one of them? This is gettin' serious. _Ichigo turned his head towards Renji. "Hey, Renji, it's between the two of us now. Stand back!" Seeming to understand the statement, the Shinigami captain backed away, bankai fading.

"Well, ya better survive this, or I'll kick your ass!"

"Heh! Don't worry about that. You should know that I'm not so easy to kill." Just at that moment, the Vasqueta reappeared. Somehow, it had procured a dagger, which was now heading for Ichigo's neck. Quickly, he brought Zangetsu up, parrying the blade, sparks showering the edge. The Vasqueta promptly changed position, blade aimed for the Shinigami Daiko's chest. Once again, the two blades met. The collision sent both parties skidding back a number of steps. A number of exchanges later, the Hollow scored a hit on Ichigo's back, blood dripping from the wound as the skin split. He hissed in slight pain before bringing Zangetsu back into an offensive stance. He quickly made a decision, donning his Hollow mask once again. This time, he could see each of the Vasqueta's moves, the sequence with which he initiated his attacks becoming clear. As it came in for an uppercut with its dagger, Ichigo knocked the blade to the side, stabbing Zangetsu straight into the centre of the Hollow's chest. He looked down at the Hollow beneath him. "It wasn't really that hard to find an opening in your attacks. Being so predictable tends to leave you dead." Then…_What?_ The body at the end of his blade had vanished. A clapping sound came from behind him, and Ichigo whirled around, finding himself face to face with the previously impaled Vasqueta. "Well done, you did a fine job there figuring out the pattern I had laid out."

"How are you not dead? I saw myself run my blade through you!" Ichigo had a look of disbelief on his face as the Hollow seemed, once again, unhurt in any way.

"Since you have fought valiantly so far, I will tell you. We are special and unique in that first, we can absorb reishi, which you know already, and, second, in that we can manipulate time. By changing time around us, we can do anything." The Vasqueta's eyes seemed to flash at the words "manipulate time" as if emphasizing the fact. "And now that I have told you so much, I think that it is high time that I ended this encounter." The Hollow once again raised its finger. "Encloserte!" Ichigo tried to flash away, only to discover that he was paralyzed. Every limb of his body was trapped, unable to move an inch. _Is he lyin'? Can he really stop and start time? Come on! Move…move…MOVE!_ Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Renji stiffen, before flashing towards the Vasqueta.

"Bakudo no. 61…Rikujokoro" The Hollow's finger was pointed at the empty space next to him, the spell hitting Renji right when he reappeared. Six shards of yellow light slammed into the redhead's body, trapping him in place.

"How foolish of you. Learn to not intervene; it's highly impolite." Ichigo saw Renji struggling to get free, but to no avail. Not even one of the six shards cracked. The Vasqueta returned his gaze to Ichigo, smiling slightly as he said his next words. "Expungio, Quedyme!"

The hands of the Hollow transformed, the fingers holding the dagger extending until they became talons, each one spanning a foot in length. The blade of the dagger suddenly melted, becoming a pool of silver liquid that flowed over the Vasqueta's fingers. It solidified, providing the fingers with a coating that mutated them into weapons. "I will tell you my name before you perish. May you remember it well in death. I am Karcifrus. Pleased to meet you. Goodbye." The talons drove into Ichigo's body.

The last thing the orange-haired Shinigami saw before the pain blocked out everything was the Vasqueta's collarbone, cloak having loosened enough to expose the skin underneath completely. _No…it can't be…_ In front of the number imprinted, there was another figure. _15_. 5 was only the second digit.

"NOOOO!" With an almighty shattering sound, Renji broke loose from the binding spell, reiatsu skyrocketing at the sight of Ichigo being stabbed by the Vasqueta. "BANKAI!" Zabimaru reappeared, roaring. Renji thrust the head forward, absolutely focused on crushing the Hollow with everything he had. He suddenly stopped, feeling a pulse of familiar reiatsu very close by.

"Tsugi no mai…Hakuren!" A wave of ice billowed from the end of a pure white zanpaktou, held by a short female Shinigami that had just arrived at the scene.

"Rukia! We have to get to Ichigo! He's seriously hurt!"

"What? Quickly, you attend to him. I'll finish this!" Rukia flashed away, landing lightly behind Karcifrus. "Some no mai…Tsukishiro!" A circle appeared where Rukia was standing, rapidly turning white. Just before a column of ice burst from the circle, Rukia flashed away again. The two attacks unleashed by Rukia met, one horizontal and one vertical, freezing Karcifrus in place. With a satisfied sigh at the blankness of the Vasqueta's two eyes, she quickly returned to Renji's side. She gasped when she saw the state Ichigo was in.

"Renji, what happened? How did he end up like this?" Renji gave no answer. Instead, he just continued to stare at the body of Ichigo in front of him, shocked. Rukia placed her hand on Ichigo's chest. "He's alive. He's still breathing, and his reiatsu isn't completely gone. We have to get him to Inoue, there's no way he'll survive without her powers."

"You should know that he's poisoned. Even if he doesn't die from the initial wounds, the poison will end his life in a few weeks." Rukia jerked in shock at the voice, turning her head around. Karcifrus was standing there, staring at them.

"How…?" Rukia's voice faltered. She looked beyond the Hollow's head and the saw the two columns of ice still intact, with no body trapped inside.

"My work here is done. Remember, we are the Vasqueta, and Soul Society is the next target on our agenda. Farewell." The figure disappeared, reiatsu vanishing completely.

Renji seemed to awaken from his stunned silence when the Hollow disappeared, jumping up onto his feet. "Who the fuck does that Hollow think he is? I don't give a shit about his Vas…something crap! Ya coward! Get back here and let me crack ya head open!" Rukia wore an incredulous expression as she watched her Taichou throw the tantrum. _Is it really that bad? I haven't seen him this angry since the time when I got sentenced to death._ She suddenly remembered that they had no time to waste. _Ichigo, hold on. We're not going to let you die!_

"Renji! Calm down! Our priority is Ichigo right now, care about the Hollow later! Come here and help me carry him to Inoue's place." Rukia's shouts seemed to snap the redhead out of his rage. Renji's shoulders slumped as he walked back over to Ichigo's body.

"Sorry Rukia. I guess I just got carried away. I hate the fact that the Hollow hurt Ichigo and ran away. Fuckin' coward."

"Never mind that. We'll have to carry Ichigo between us. He's losing too much blood."

'There's no need for that." Ishida's voice suddenly appeared. Renji turned his head and saw Ishida, Chad and Inoue running towards them.

"Inoue! You're just the person we need! Ichigo's badly injured."

"Kurosaki-kun?" She upped her pace, reaching Rukia's side in a few strides. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Ichigo's body, legs giving way shortly after. "What…happened?" She was kneeling, Shun Shun Rikka's orange-domed Soten Kisshun already working on Ichigo.

Renji answered this time. "Just a Hollow attack. It managed to land a lucky hit on Ichigo and it turned out quite serious."

"There's no point in lying Abarai. That was no ordinary Hollow. I could sense its reiatsu from my home and I know it was higher than an Espada's. Plus, the fact that Ichigo was fighting with his mask on is enough evidence that it wasn't a 'lucky hit'." Renji said nothing in reply. His eyes were fixed on Ichigo. Ishida gave him a curious look. _He usually fights back when someone criticizes him. Did he actually hear me?_ Rukia answered for him, seeing that he was preoccupied.

"Well, what you said is true. The Hollow claimed that he was part of a group called the…Vasqueta I think? Something about destroying Soul Society as well? I arrived late so I don't have all the details." None of the three showed any sign of recognition relating to this 'group'.

"Never heard of them," Ishida replied. Then he switched to the more important topic. "Inoue, what's Ichigo's condition right now?" Everyone's attention turned to the orange-haired girl.

"Well, I've managed to heal almost all of his cuts and bruises. There are two problems, though. First, Ichigo's reiatsu is really low right now, so someone will probably have to lend him some of their own. Second…" She stopped, words suddenly stuck. Tears began to flow rapidly out of her eyes and she sobbed painfully, trying to hold them back. "Why didn't you…tell me…about …the p-poison?"

"I'm sorry, Inoue. I thought that it wouldn't bother you much, since it's just a little poison that the Hollow had on its claws. You can reject it…right?" Rukia's tone was hopeful; perhaps a little too much so.

"It's not…a l-little poison! It's gone into his bloodstream and for some reason I…can't reject it. It's spreading right now. If we don't do something about it, Ichigo will…" Inoue broke down again, unable to say the last word. Ishida sat down next to Inoue, comforting her and calming her down. After a few seconds, he reminded them about Ichigo's reiatsu.

"Rukia, since you made Ichigo a Shinigami, I think it's best if you lend him your reiatsu. We need to hurry. At this rate, he'll probably have to go to Soul Society for treatment." Rukia agreed with a brief nod, leaning over Ichigo's body and placing her hands atop his chest. She quickly extended her reiatsu, with the goal of reaching out to Ichigo's so that it could bolster his currently weak state. Suddenly, she felt her reiatsu strands being blocked. _It's not working. Something's stopping me from getting through!_ She searched for the source of the blockage and almost fell over when she realized what was causing it.

"Renji! Renji!" The redhead turned his head to her.

"Yeah, what's the matter?"

"For some reason Ichigo's already got a tiny bit of your reiatsu attached to him. I can't get through because it's rejecting me. I think you're the only one who can properly reach out to his reiatsu strands right now." Renji seemed confused by that.

"Why does he have my reiatsu in him?" Rukia looked at her Taichou impatiently, exasperated by his question.

"We'll figure it out later. Just do it, he's our friend and right now his life is in danger! Just do it!"

"Alright, alright." Renji hurriedly shifted himself so that he was facing Ichigo and placed both his palms on the Shinigami Daiko's chest. He replicated Rukia's process, summoning his reiatsu strands and urging them into Ichigo's body. He quickly found that what Rukia said was true, as he could see a tiny portion of one of his own reiatsu strands merged with one of Ichigo's. Renji pushed on and found, to his slight surprise, that he was granted access. His reiatsu flooded into Ichigo's body, each of his strands finding one of Ichigo's to latch onto.

The redhead moved onto the fusion process, putting all his energy into merging his strands with the orange-haired boy's. Soon, Renji started to feel an immense burning sensation as the colour of Ichigo's reiatsu strands began changing. Despite the pain, he pushed on, the words "Ichigo's life is in danger" repeated over and over in his head as a mantra spurring him on. At long last, his reiatsu meshed completely with Ichigo's, their combined strands pulsing together, a deep violet in colour. Renji let out a sigh, just realizing that he was drenched in sweat from the intense activity. When he regained his senses, he lifted his head and smiled at Rukia. "It's done." She beamed at the confirmation, giving him a quick hug before speaking to the rest of the group.

"Leave the rest to us. You guys can go back. We'll take him to Society and get Unohana-taichou. She'll know what to do." The group of three nodded; Inoue finally having got a hold of herself, sniffled only once.

Rukia and Renji lifted Ichigo up, supporting his weight between the two of them. Rukia quickly pulled out her zanpaktou, turning it and revealing a Senkaimon to Soul Society. "See you guys, he'll be safe, don't worry!" With that, the three Shinigami disappeared, the gates of the portal of light shutting after them.

~Chapter 4 Omake

Renji: Damn you, cuttin' him up like that! I think I need ta show ya what I do ta people who harm my best friends! *cracks knuckles*

J: I'm sorry! Please…it's part of the plan!

Renji: Well, it must be a crap plan if it involves Ichigo almost dyin'!

_Zangetsu pops out of nowhere!_

Zangetsu: Now, now, Renji, Ichigo is perfectly fine. There's no need to use violence to solve this issue.

Renji/J: Wahhh? Zangetsu?

Zangetsu: Yes, it's me.

Renji: I'm just worried for Ichigo, so I needed to vent some frustration.

Zangetsu: I think I have the perfect solution. I tried it and it's wonderful.

Renji: What's that? *narrows eyes suspiciously*

Zangetsu: Fishing!

_2 hours later, at a pond in Renji's inner world_

Renji: Fuck! I hate this! Not a single fish!

Zangetsu: Ooooh…this one looks interesting.

_Zangetsu is standing with sword in hand, a whale stuck on the end._

Renji: How the fuck did you catch that?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm sooooo sorrry for the long wait for this chapter. I think I procured a seriously bad case of block, since this really wasn't meant to be that hard. I got stumped so many times that I lost count, aimlessly doodling everywhere. It'll get a bit harder to update now, as holidays have finished for me. Blarrrgh, back to uni for me! Please forgive me, guys! Now, onto something that might've confused you! Ichigo's speech patterns , for me, are quite complex. When he talks with people he knows, it's sort of slang, with the end 'g' s chopped off words. When he talks with people he doesn't know, like the Vasqueta, he speaks formally. He normally thinks in slang as well, unless he is inside his inner world, where his thoughts are, once again, formal. Thankfully, Renji's a lot easier, as he's always casual! Whew! Hope your mind isn't blown! THANKS FOR THE LOVELY REVIEWS! See you next time!

**Chapter 5- Escalation**

_I'm floating. _

_Where am I? Why am I here? Am I dead? No, I can still feel my heart beating. Then why do I feel so faint and…far away? Why are my thoughts echoing? I haven't opened my mouth, yet I can hear myself thinking. Am I in my inner world? Where's Zangetsu?_

Questions. Questions. Questions. They ricocheted off the walls of Ichigo's subconscious, flooding his unconscious mind. They assaulted his weak brain, flooding it with a wave of confusion, the myriad of problems threatening to overload his system. Then, the memories came.

_AHHHHHH! …What the heck was that? It felt like my head was being split open! Wait a minute…what's this? I think… I remember something. I think I was fighting, and then… something happened._

Images began to flash through Ichigo's mind, adding to the pile of questions currently causing a traffic jam. They zipped past, incomplete pieces of events that had occurred, crudely replaying the memories of the recent fight between Ichigo and the Vasqueta.

_A Hollow…Karakura Town…Aizen…Soul Society…time…Karcifrus. Dammit! How did I end up like this? It was just a Hollow! _Then, a single image flashed onto the screen of his mind, freezing there, unmoving. A single frame, stuck, as if the slideshow of memories had malfunctioned. It depicted a sole person. _Renji…No…I have to protect him! I need to get away from this place! _Then something rumbled and a wave of heat cascaded over his senses. As quick as the feeling started, it abruptly stopped, fading away to a low pulse. _I can feel something…it seems really familiar…like reiatsu from someone I know. Who is it? It feels like someone from my family. Is it Pop? _ Then everything faded to blackness again.

"_**Wake up, Ichigo."**_ A voice rang out, echoing with a horrible clanging sound. _**"Wake up."**_ Something flicked on inside Ichigo's head, like a small light bulb, giving him enough sense to be able to recognize the new voice.

"_Zangetsu?"_

Suddenly, Ichigo managed to open his eyes, wincing slightly at the blast of light that greeted him. He could see buildings, tall and grand, lying…sideways. _Why am I in my inner world? _

"_**Because, once again, you have been placed under mortal danger."**_ The answer came from all sides at once, confusing Ichigo as to where Zangetsu was. He looked around, trying to spot a cloaked figure, finding none.

"_**I am behind you." **_ Ichigo whirled around, finding himself faced with his zanpaktou, standing upon the hilt of the sword. He felt something land on his face, cold and wet. Ichigo looked up, and saw that the usually blue sky had attained a dull shade of deep grey. The rain intensified, gradually growing until it became a heavy downpour, soaking both him and Zangetsu.

"_**I have told you how much I despise the rain. You are troubled. You feel powerless again. You fear for your friends. You couldn't protect them. You hesitated, and now you are on the verge of death."**_

"_I know…I failed. I underestimated the Hollow and it cost me. Just tell me, how do I get out? There are people out there who need my help!_

"_**You mean 'one person', don't you? Well, this should explain his state pretty well."**_ Ichigo blushed at that statement, especially when he heard Zangetsu say 'his'. Curiosity blossoming, he followed Zangetsu's finger, spotting what looked like a jagged crack in the sky. _**"Keep watching."**_ Ichigo stared, confused. Then, he recoiled, as something emerged from it. Something that resembled…_What's it called? I think it's…a nue? That's it! It's Zabimaru! That means Renji's alive!_ An inward sigh surfaced at the new information. The feeling quickly gave way to disbelief as Ichigo considered the absurdity of the situation. _Why in the world is Zabimaru here? He shouldn't be able to enter my inner world! What's going on?_

"_Hey, Ichigo! Surprised ta see me__?"_ Ichigo was still dumbstruck; staring at the zanpaktou like it was a hallucination. Somewhere inside his mind, the small discovery that Zabimaru shared the same speech patterns as Renji lodged itself, stored for a later time. _"Yanno ya really should hurry up and stop sleepin', it's worryin' the shit outta Renji."_

"_Why are you here? Why's Renji worried? Freakin' tell me, I'm gettin' seriously impatient!" _Zabimaru leered slightly, its snake tail curling forward and staring Ichigo in the eye. It hissed before continuing in the baboon's stead.

"Don't tell me ya didn't even feel the reiatsu flowing through your body?"

"What?" Ichigo thought he had a vague idea, but it seemed preposterous. _No way. He can't have managed that._

"Come on, I thought ya were smarter than this. That was Renji, it was his reiatsu bonding with yours. Ya seriously didn't realize? Heh. And he even bothered ta give up practically all his reiatsu jus' ta save ya life."

Ichigo was completely, utterly shocked. Somewhere, something told him that he should have recognized the spiritual signature earlier. However, this small voice was dwarfed by the rest of his mind, which was presently fixated on the memory of an answer he had received from Rukia, quite a long time ago.

_The sun was gradually sinking, the last remnants of its golden rays illuminating Seireitei, showing off its many impressive structures. Ichigo was sitting on the flat face of Sokyoku Hill, Rukia next to him, both relaxed and wearing peaceful expressions on their faces. Ichigo was due to leave in a few weeks, and a nagging question was eating away at his brain. _

"_Rukia, there's somethin' I want to ask you."_

"_What is it? Just go for it, you don't need to warn me."_

"_How does reiatsu bonding work?" Rukia raised her eyebrows at the peculiarity of the question. _

"_Why do you want to know about that? I wouldn't think anything like that would happen to you." Ichigo shifted a little, feeling a little uncomfortable under Rukia's prolonged stare. She finally gave it up after a few awkward seconds._

"_Well, if you really want to know, I can tell you a few rules about it. In truth, I don't know much about it. Most of what I know was picked up from other people anyway." Ichigo nodded, indicating for her to continue. _

"_Alright, there are two types_. _The first type is partial bonding, where only bits of reiatsu from Shinigami join to form small links. It's pretty much useless as it doesn't give any extra power in battle. It's mostly just used for reminding yourself of people that you need to meet. The other type is quite a bit more complex, as it involves the full bonding of one's reiatsu to another. It's often used in emergency situations where lives are in danger. It takes a lot of effort to create the bond, and due to the natural defense systems in our bodies, not everyone can go through the process. I've heard that you can only bond fully with someone if they're family to the Shinigami in danger."_ _Rukia paused after the last statement, eyes flicking upwards as she contemplated for a second. She then continued, eyes glittering with a new curiosity._ "_But, I asked Nii-sama once about the last claim, and he said that it's not true. He said that there was one other relationship that enabled reiatsu bonding. __Lovers.__"_ _Rukia's eyes sparkled at the last word._

It was that single word which was currently shooting through Ichigo's head. It bounced around, wreaking havoc on his senses, causing him to be frozen in his place. _Are we really that…close? I know I thought it was Pop's reiatsu at one point. How did Renji manage to get through? We're just best friends…aren't we?_ Ichigo could feel the synchronized pulsing of his reiatsu, satisfied and stable. Closing his eyes, he visualized his reiatsu strands. _They're violet. It's true. Now that I'm this close, I can feel that it's Renji's reiatsu. Dammit! He had to save my life! How was I so weak?_

Ever since that fateful day when Masaki died protecting Ichigo from Grand Fisher, Ichigo had sworn to become strong. He had vowed to change from the rescued to the rescuer. He had promised to himself that he would protect his friends, no matter what. Ichigo lost his mother that day, but in truth he lost a lot more. He lost his smile, his tears and most importantly, he lost his childhood.

"Hey, Ichigo, ya finished bein' stunned yet? I can't stay for much longer. Just came to say that Renji's done a lot for ya, don't go wastin' it and dyin'. Pull through this. The Ichigo I knew was strong enough." With a swish of his tail, Zabimaru paced out through the crack, disappearing without further ado.

"_**Ichigo, look around. Your inner world is crumbling."**_ The buildings in Ichigo's inner world were truly in a bad state, with only the closer ones still standing untarnished. The rest were deteriorating, slowly being engulfed by a wave of foreign matter invading his inner world. Ichigo could tell that it was the poison; by the looks of it, he had probably been unconscious for a week at least. The viscous liquid had spread, reaching a stage that was clearly life-threatening. If it continued like this, Ichigo knew that he would perish.

"_What do I have to do, Zangetsu?"_

~Present time

Time was running out. The 4th Division was in uproar, the small hall hardly able to contain the overwhelming number of casualties flowing in. A single surprise raid by a mysterious group of Hollow had left Seireitei in a state of disarray. Whole squads had been defeated, the offenders leaving no trace wherever they went. An emergency had been declared, captains rushing to the scene only to realize that the group of Hollow had long gone.

Yamamato Sou-Taichou, as stern and calm as ever, repeatedly criticized the captains over "lack of co-operation" and "shoddy organization" at the subsequent captains' meeting. No one bothered to rebuke, knowing that any remarks were unnecessary. To be truthful, the captains were hardly bothered by the attack or the number of injured. To them, it just seemed to be a one-off freak accident. The only one even remotely bothered to follow up on the incident was of course, Kurotsuchi-taichou. And a certain shopkeeper in the real world.

However, someone who completely ignored the recent attack was surprisingly, a high-ranked Shinigami. The person in question had been spending the last week or so flitting in and out of the 4th Division barracks, practically living there for most of the day. Leaving his responsibilities with the excuse of "personal matters", he had been allowed a short period of rest. What he did with that time was pretty much the same each day."Staying with Ichigo."

After the battle involving the Vasqueta, Ichigo's unconscious body had been quickly transported to the 4th Division barracks. Unohana-taichou completed a full analysis of his condition, doing her best to patch him up. Of course, there were things that even she did not have the power to heal. The final line of her report stated, "Only if the poison becomes weaker will I be able to proceed further healing, for it is uniquely strong and will probably be the death of Kurosaki Ichigo." It was blunt, and horrifyingly true. Although it shocked almost everyone in the Gotei 13, Renji was affected noticeably more than anyone else. He had gone on leave the next day, insisting on being able to be let into Ichigo's ward room whenever possible. Rukia had been laid with all her Taichou's responsibilities, a fact that she, surprisingly, embraced, saying that "your friends' wellbeing is much more important than work."

So, as the dawning sun's rays crept through the window, illuminating the face of the room's secondary occupant, Renji awoke, head resting upon the bed Ichigo was currently lying on. He opened his eyes, hoping that he would see the other's chocolate brown ones staring at him. As usual, however, they remained closed, showing no sign of life. His breathing was regular, hiding the fact that he was slowly dying. Renji sighed, feeling depressed and lethargic. He stood up, stretched and moved towards the bottle of sake he had standing on the small table next to Ichigo's bed. Taking a swig of it, he then shuffled out of the room, leaving the door open for Unohana, who would be coming for her morning check-up in a few minutes.

It wasn't that he was worried. Renji believed in Ichigo, he knew that the obnoxious orange-haired Shinigami Daiko would pull through this. Something like a Hollow couldn't kill him off. It was just that he wanted to support him. He also knew that the reiatsu he was feeding through their bond would weaken with distance, so he had made arrangements to be near Ichigo most of the time. Every scrap of reiatsu was important right now, and the redhead was the only thing still allowing Ichigo's body to function properly.

_I hate seein' him like this. He doesn't seem like Ichigo when he's lyin' on a bed, injured and unconscious. I'm not used to seein' him so vulnerable. Heh, weird that it feels like I've been hurt as well. Best thing I can tell myself is that we're goin' through this together._

The Shinigami had quickly realized that he enjoyed the bond he shared with Ichigo immensely. It felt warm, comfortable, pure, and most of all, right.

_It feels like we're holding each other._ _Sharing one bed._ Renji's face flushed at that thought, stoutly convincing himself that it was just the sake. _Not that far._ To be truthful, the temptation to just curl up next to Ichigo and fall asleep in the ward bed kept nagging Renji during each long night spent in the infirmary. He had resisted the longing, knowing that there were way too many people, and he was at serious risk of embarrassing himself. Any moment, Unohana-taichou could come in, see him sleeping in her patient's bed, and blow her kettle. Her zanpaktou would probably swallow him up and trap him inside its belly for the next decade.

Renji sidled back into Ichigo's ward after his aimless morning walk, moving over to the woman currently standing over the bed, clipboard in hand. "Unohana, how is he?" After a few moments with no response, Renji asked again, tentatively this time. "Unohana, what's wrong?"

"Quiet!" The slightly hissed command startled Renji. _What's gotten her so riled up in the mornin'? Did she wake up on the wrong side of the bed or somethin'?_ The 4th Division Taichou turned around, meeting the other's eyes. _Her hands are shakin'! Somethin' doesn't seem right._ Renji questioned more forcefully this time.

"What's wrong with Ichigo?" When nothing but the sounds of happily chirping birds ensued, he raised his hands, resting them on the woman's shoulders and gently shaking them. "Come on, tell me. I'm here because I wanted to help him, don't keep things from me." Unohana blinked at that, before continuing in a low tone.

"He…he has only until noon to…live." The captain was feigning an act of indifference, but the slightly faster blinking of her eyes gave her away. Renji frowned. _What did she say…until noon? That can't be right, she has ta be jokin'. Ichigo was perfectly fine yesterday._

"Stop pullin' my leg, Unohana, I'm bein' serious here. You have a horrible sense of humour. Now, tell me the truth." Her response was to drop her clipboard on the bed and stalk off, muttering "I've got better things to do than dealing with this numbskull." Renji sighed, shaking his head and picking up the medical report. Skimming through it, he reached the end of the report without understanding a word of the medical gibberish. He decided to re-read the final sentence, just to make sure. It turned out, that it was actually two. With a growing sense of unease, Renji set his eyes on the last two words. _Death imminent._

It has always been a strange fact of life that you only realize something's true value when you're about to lose it.

The wooden board dropped, almost in slow motion, towards the ground, landing with a pronounced clatter. Renji was standing, rooted to the spot, eyes widening with every passing second, mouth hanging slightly ajar. _How? Why? No…He can't be…I thought…Ichigo!_ Visions began to flip through his mind, flashing before his eyes. Ichigo defeating him the first time they met, Ichigo training with him to achieve bankai, Ichigo shouting at him over his 'horrible fashion sense', Ichigo sparring with him, Ichigo going out to parties with him and all his friends, Ichigo leaving through the Soul Society senkaimon. The floodgates of Renji's emotions burst, wave after wave of bitter resentment and a terrible sadness tumbling through his body, as one final illusion played itself through.

_The two of them were standing alone, somewhere in Soul Society, wrapped in each other's embrace. His lips were firmly pressed against Ichigo's, their tongues dancing together. His hand was weaving its way through the other's orange hair, marveling at the softness of the spikes. Forehead leaning on Ichigo's, he stared into those chocolate brown orbs, currently transfixing him with a deep, loving gaze. The scowl that Ichigo normally wore had disappeared, replaced by a content, peaceful expression. He could feel Ichigo's nimble fingers moving across his chest, tracing the tattoos inked there gently. The touch of his slightly calloused fingers was electrifying, seeming to send heat shooting through his body where ever they landed. As they parted, Ichigo whispered, "I think…I like you deeper than a friend, Renji." The scene dissolved, replaced by the still image of Ichigo lying lifeless, in his arms, blood dripping from a gaping wound on his chest, eyes dead to the world._

Renji just couldn't bear it. He hadn't felt anything remotely like this before. Sure, when Rukia left him, it had hurt; it had ached, for what seemed like a long time. It just couldn't compare, however, to the despair and pain that the redhead was feeling now. A foreign sensation, one that Renji had never experienced, hit his eyes, causing them to become hot and prickly. _Am I actually cryin'? What the fuck's wrong with me?_ The answer came, loud and clear, from none other than Zabimaru, echoing from the depths of his mind.

"_**I didn't tell ya, 'cause I thought ya would realize soon enough. Renji, ya love Ichigo, more than anyone else in the world."**_ As soon as it was said, Renji felt something inside him agree. A latent intuition, if you like. Renji's eyes had finally been opened, albeit at the worst time possible.

_I love him. Now that I think about it, I think I always have. And now the one person most precious to me is about to die._ He used his foot to nudge the door of the ward shut, before moving towards Ichigo's bed. Seeing his friend lying there, peaceful as ever, was enough to make him snap. This time, the tears broke free, rolling slowly down the Shinigami's cheeks. Renji laid his head down on Ichigo's chest, allowing the show of grievance to continue. Somehow, it felt better, the pent-up emotions being let out physically. He had never felt the need for shedding tears, but he soon realized that they could be beneficial, at times. The torso underneath his face continued to rise and fall, not changing despite the head resting upon it. Renji could feel the warmth radiating off Ichigo, almost caressing his cheek as he laid there. He inhaled deeply, nostrils filling with the unique scent that he had always associated with the Shinigami Daiko. It was strange how different it was, almost enticing. 

The door slammed open, shocking Renji, whose head jumped up, gaze directed towards the intruder. It was Rukia. Her eyes locked with his, widening when she saw the state that he was in. _What? He's been crying? Like actually…crying? Is Ichigo really that important to him? I haven't seen him shed tears even once!_ Renji quickly realized why Rukia's seemed surprised; hastily wiping away the tear tracks on his face, feeling horribly embarrassed.

"What in the world's happening, Renji? You better tell me right now, because it seems really serious if you're…you know." Renji opened his mouth to answer, but found that the words were getting stuck, almost choking him as he tried his best to answer.

"Ichigo…h-he's gonna…die."

"Yeah, yeah, we know that alrea-"

"In a few…hours." Rukia's eyes widened, once again, mouth opening in shock at the news.

~Chapter 5 Omake

Ichigo: I think I've lost all my respect for Renji; he's a freakin' pineapple that's also a crybaby.

Renji: *clobbers Ichigo over the head* Were you not payin' any attention while lyin' on the bed? There were people filmin'! I'm the new star of Soul Society's drama series!

Ichigo: Huh? And that involves a relationship between us?

Renji: *blushes* Of course not! What made you think that?

Ichigo: The fact that you were so moved that you cried over my death proves somethin', doesn't it?

Renji: No it doesn't! Now shut up! I'm gonna ask ya a few questions. First, ya like coffee, right?

Ichigo: Yeah.

Renji: Ya don't like the way I dress, right?

Ichigo: Yeah. *getting disinterested*

Renji: Ya wanna be a doctor when ya grow up, right?

Ichigo: Yeah. *getting seriously bored*

Renji: Ya love me, right?

Ichigo: Ye- No. No way.

Renji: *gloomy* Leave me alone. _That trick never works. _


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: FINALLY! The next chapter's up after many crammed writing sessions of 2 minutes, in between doing assignments. I agree, holidays education. Please forgive me for the horribly long wait, and wish me luck for the next chapter. Also, don't forget to review if you can be bothered! Thanks for all of the reviews so far, they've been a great help! ^_^ Love you guys! See you in the next chapter.

**Chapter 6- Resolve**

Ichigo's heart was racing. Quickly sneaking a glance downwards, he realized that time was running out. Fast. He could see Zangetsu, poised and ready, standing still as a statue, waiting for him to finish the preparations.

Unfortunately, the poison had spread at such a rapid rate that the root of it was well hidden. This complicated matters a great deal. Whilst originally Ichigo could've just directly targeted the base of the poison, now he had to eliminate everything. A small explosion would not be enough. Somehow, a blast that could spread and wash through the whole of Ichigo's body had to be created and utilized. For that matter, Zangetsu had finally managed to find a way. However, it involved the sacrifice of a single reiatsu strand, on Ichigo's part.

_It's almost done. _Ichigo continued to sprint, hand pressed against what seemed like empty space. Intriguing it was, however, that wherever Ichigo's hand touched, a purple hue appeared.

Gradually, the small portion of violet interlinked to become what could be described as one, long strand. Of course, this was no coincidence. It had taken Ichigo a long while just to find the right place to begin his ministrations, as the process was crucial. By creating an extended strand of reiatsu, it could act as a catalyst for something much bigger.

The small strand had already expanded into a full shape, Ichigo darting around, creating each individual side. It was a pentagon. Zangetsu was positioned straight at the centre, poison oozing around him, gradually swallowing up the area around Ichigo's zanpakuto. Only a small circle of untainted land remained, for practically all the buildings within his inner world had melted away, consumed by the poison. It was truly a dismal sight.

With a fizzing sound, the structure was completed, the tail of the reiatsu strand undulating slightly in the air. Ichigo quickly flashed away, reappearing at the top corner of the pentagon, turning his head towards Zangetsu.

"Old man, you ready?"

"_**Yes, Ichigo. Remember, you must keep channeling the Getsuga Tenshou. Use every ounce of energy, spare none. This will also become painful, so be prepared." **_

"I knew the risks a long time ago. I'm not going to back out of this. It's for the sake of everyone. If I die, how can I protect the people important to me?"

"_**Remember well what you just said. Let us begin."**_ With a flourish, Zangetsu hopped off his sword, landing gracefully before taking the hilt in hand. At the same time, Ichigo released his bankai, promptly materializing his Hollow mask as well. After a single second of utter silence, acting almost as a lull before the storm, Ichigo raised his zanpakuto.

"Getsuga…Tensho!" The black and red crescent streamed from the end of Ichigo's zanpakutou, shooting across the small gap of empty space. This time, however, the crescent was on a leash, a small strand of reiatsu linking it back towards Ichigo's sword. Focusing, Ichigo forced himself to hold onto the bond, strengthening it with his reiatsu. Slowly, the crescent began to diminish, its curved fangs retracting, becoming what appeared like a gigantic arrow, straining for release.

Rivulets of sweat trailed from Ichigo's orange hair, sliding down the sides of his face. He continued to pour in reiatsu, hand slightly shaking from the massive strain of holding onto the swelling arrow. Abruptly, with an almighty wrench, Ichigo severed the link. The reiatsu-infused shaft hurtled away, hitting the origin point of the pentagon dead centre.

Ichigo watched in apprehension as the two collided, breathing heavily from the exertion. _This determines it all. If it rejects, there's absolutely no hope for my survival._

The moments ticked by, the red and black reiatsu of his Getsuga Tenshou billowing as it fought viciously with the strand.

With an almighty hissing sound, the reiatsu strand began to glow brighter. Ichigo's Getsuga was absorbed, black and red melding with the violet of the strand. Ichigo, who had been watching the process with a look of utter concentration, relaxed visibly, flicking his eyes towards Zangetsu. His zanpaktou nodded slightly, aligning himself with the home stretch of the reiatsu pentagon. Ichigo's relief was short-lived however, for the pain had arrived.

It hit him in an instant, and like a wave, the torturous pain engulfed the Shinigami. Ichigo could not withhold the involuntary shout as the sudden, burning sensation shot through every single nerve of his body. The world momentarily rocked as the agony brought him to his knees. It felt as if he had been trapped inside an Iron Maiden, each inch-long spike driving through his body, piercing him in one hundred different places. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, the only thing apparent was pain. Through his half shut eyes, Ichigo could barely make out the pentagonal strand of reiatsu continuing to grow in brightness, almost humming with a barely contained energy. _It's… working. Now…it's all up to…Zangetsu._ His brain was functioning again, able to process logical thoughts even though the pain continued. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw Zangetsu raise his blade.

But all was not well. Zangetsu faltered as he realized something was wrong. The piercing light emitting from the reiatsu strand was fading gradually, as if the whole pentagonal structure was running out of energy. It dawned upon Ichigo. _Oh…no…please, no fucking way…all that reiatsu and still not enough?_ The plan had become a disaster. Without enough reiatsu supplying the strand with power, it would completely backfire, disintegrating him from the inside. _Dammit! I've come too far for this shit to be happening! I can't fucking die, I need to protect them from that Hollow! Come on, stop fading! _

But his calls were not answered, the strand continuing to fade in colour. The end had come. A thought flashed through Ichigo's mind and he lunged, grasping it before it disappeared. A horrible wave of anguish swept through Ichigo's body as he realized what it was about. _Renji…crap…I'll never be able to tell him. He'll never realize just how much he meant to me. Ahhh…shit. Sorry, Renji. Oh, and thanks for everything. I… _Ichigo steeled himself, knowing that he had to get it out before all was gone. _I…love you. But I guess it doesn't mean much now._ Ichigo felt like his heart had just been ripped in two. _I want to see his face one last time._ Ichigo cursed himself for being so weak, for being powerless like that day when his mother had died. Ichigo braced himself for the impending explosion, eyes sliding closed. _Never knew I'd have to say this, but I don't think I'm going to survive._

But, that day, the Lord God must have been watching, for something happened. Something that could only have occurred through divine intervention. A miracle.

The steady decline of Ichigo's reiatsu during the last few hours had not gone unnoticed, and before long, several people had gathered. Even though it was only a few of the Taichos, their presence congested the small ward, becoming a nuisance as time passed by. Surprisingly, Byakuya had been the first person to arrive, merely glancing at the Shinigami Daiko's body, then Renji, before flashing away, leaving no trace of his presence. Ukitake and Kyouraku were next, a slightly apprehensive Hitsugaya trailing behind them. They decided to stay for a while, wearing grim expressions. Ukitake looked particularly dejected, eyes glazed with a melancholy tinge. Even Matsumoto, who had just presented herself, lost her usual bouncy attitude when she entered the ward.

They could all feel it; Ichigo's reiatsu was fading. Renji was standing next to the bed, staring down at the orange-haired teen, feeling unusually empty. _Is there absolutely nothin' I can do? Am I destined ta just stand here an' watch as the one person I love dies in front a' my very eyes?_ Unfortunately for the redhead, he hadn't realized that Ichigo was using one of **their** reiatsu strands for his final plan. Thus, the pain caught him unawares.

At the exact split second when Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshou was absorbed by the violet strand of reiatsu, Renji felt an excruciating jab of pain attack his head. Within a few moments, it had spread throughout his whole body, burning like a wildfire. The sudden and immense pain almost knocked the redhead off his feet. Unbalanced, Renji sat down on a nearby chair, almost missing it at first. His hands flew up to his forehead, where the pain was throbbing nastily. Eyes shut, Renji desperately searched for the source of the pain, trying to make sense of the sudden outbreak. Rukia was shaking his shoulder, a look of anxiety plastered across her face, whilst the other captains watched in confusion.

Through the wall of pain, Zabimaru's voice made its way into his clouded mind, words slightly muffled. "Renji! Ichigo's makin' his final attempt ta survive, and I don't think he's gonna make it!" _Huh? Ichigo's still fightin'? What's he doin'?_ Renji was confused. _Didn't Unohana say that he would die?_ "He's tryin' ta create an explosion strong enough ta wipe out all of the poison from inside him. But, his reiatsu ain't enough, he won't survive!" _Not enough reiatsu?_ "Yeah. There's only one way he can do it, and that means he's gonna need your help."

The pain had lessened, and Renji found himself able to think properly again. Strangely, doubt crept into his mind, stifling the motivation that he would normally feel for lending a hand to his best friend. _I can't do much more! Why do I always hafta do all the work? Ya realize how hard it is ta believe what ya said 'bout Ichigo still bein' alive?_ As soon as the words were out, Renji felt something akin to guilt creep into his mind. A long, painful silence ensued, before Zabimaru spoke again, voice monotonous. "So…ya mean tha' ya want Ichigo dead?"

Renji was shocked into silence, mouth opening to rebuke, only to realize that he couldn't find any words. Somewhere deep inside, the redhead knew why he had let those thoughts surface.

After the tears had dried up, and the unavoidable truth that Ichigo would die had imprinted itself in his mind, a feeling had manifested. Renji realized that even though life felt empty without Ichigo, an infinitesimal portion of his consciousness still decided that relief would be in order if Ichigo ceased to exist. It was a selfish, horrible part of himself, but nonetheless, it was there. For there was one thing that the tough 5th division captain feared more than anything else.

Rejection.

That one, seemingly trivial emotion had drilled itself home into Renji's heart, creating a painful wound that could never be healed. It had happened too many times, such that even ignorance couldn't wash the sting away.

Rukongai had been the first step. Shunned by society, forced to live a life based on thievery and meager supplies to live, the joy of youth had all but disappeared from Renji's heart. Second came the death of his friends. People who had grown up with him, cared for him and most of all, had kept him sane. The same people were now dead, having become nothing but worthless corpses, rotting under the glaring sun. He could imagine the murderers, eating the stolen food with their bloodstained hands, wicked faces stretched into cruel, insane grins. At that time, there was only one person left. Someone who quickly came to mean the world to him. Rukia. A sister connected not by blood, but by spirit.

But fate's giant wheel continued to turn, rumbling on without a second thought. Rejection's fangs struck again, drawing ever closer to consuming his whole existence. This time, the body of rejection came in the form of Rukia. Too close, they had become, so close that when the strike came, it hurt like hell. He could remember, clear as day, the flutter of Rukia's black hair as she moved past him, her final words ringing in the young Renji's ears. He stood there for an eternity, unmoving, frozen in disbelief. A noble. The most important person in his life had left him, to become _a noble_. It was at this moment, that something other than helplessness entered his life. Hate. Hate for that man. Hate for that person who had taken Rukia away. Kuchiki Byakuya.

Hate overcame the feelings associated with rejection, pushing everything out. He trained and trained, intent on making the head of the Kuchiki house bow before him.

Now, a new problem had blossomed, many years later. Kurosaki Ichigo. Another person more powerful than him, a _human_ too! Initially, hate had lashed out with its fiery tongue at this newcomer, death quickly becoming the only thing that Renji had wanted to give this stranger. However, the battle they fought swiftly opened his eyes to the power of this person. Furthermore, their bankai training together showed him the amazing sense of resolve that the orange-haired newcomer possessed, something that he couldn't help but respect. It influenced him, very deep down.

Even as he struggled to stand, pierced in ten different places by the swords of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, Renji had remembered Ichigo, as if the Shinigami's very soul was resonating with his, enabling him to make a final, successful attack. They became two inseparable comrades on first name terms with each other, something, unknown to Renji, that was extremely rare on Ichigo's part.

During this whole time, however, the redhead had felt that something was different about Ichigo. It was almost as if a strange aura of eccentricity emanated from the orange-haired teenager. To Renji's confused mind, it seemed like this sole person could break the endless circle that was fate. His theory soon proved correct in too many situations to be a mere coincidence. The single fact that they had become best friends was testament to that.

And now, he had realized that the feelings of friendship had turned into a deep, burning love. With the arrival of Ichigo, destiny had become a pool of gifts instead of a siphoning pit of lies. His whole world had been turned head over heels, and for once, he felt at peace. Ironically, the fights and insults they hurtled at each other just made him feel better, as if just being with Ichigo was the perfect cure for him.

So why did the crossroads he currently stood at make the redhead so nervous? It felt as if rejection was gearing up for another attack, after countless years of slumber. _It's 'cause I don't have the slightest clue if Ichigo even likes me. I see him with Orihime all the time; I'm pretty much sure they're engaged. If I actually do save his life by usin' the emergency method, my feelings'll be out in the open. I can't bear tha', 'cause I know that he's goin' ta reject me. I can't bear it, havin' our friendship shattered 'cause a' the silly feelings I've got for him. I realized when he left tha' I can't live properly when he ain't around. If Ichigo realizes I wanna get a relationship goin' with him, he'll probably get as far away as possible from me. I don't want tha' ta happen! But what about his life? If I don't do it, he'll die! Dammit! Why is this so fuckin' hard? It's either he dies or I live a life of hell! _

The nue had turned his back on Renji, stalking away slowly. "I've had ta say this quite a few times, but this time I really mean it. I'm ashamed a' havin' ya as my master." Renji's train of thought was broken by that harsh comment, attention re-fixing itself upon his zanpakuto. Zabimaru continued to retreat, back turned towards his wielder. He continued to talk. "Never knew ya were this selfish. Never knew ya'd give up Ichigo ta save ya own ass. I'll tell ya this. Ya probably never realized this, but the only reason why ya can perform bankai is 'cause ya trained with Ichigo. If ya let him die, ya lose your bankai. Simple, ain't it?" Renji froze, feeling the words sinking in. _Just how far is he linked ta me? It's as if everythin' I do is connected ta him somehow! _"I went inta his inner world a few hours ago. Unlike ya, he hadn't given up. He's still fightin' for his life, but you're the one who's got no resolve."

The last word semed to echo, pulling a horde of memories to the forefront of Renji's mind. He remembered the all-encompassing willpower of the man he loved; the way he never, ever, backed down. It was enough.

In an instant, Renji realized just how much of an idiot he had been. He had fallen into a trap, one that had almost successfully taken the person who meant the world to him. Once again, Ichigo had saved him, re-opening his mind and negating the trap.

_Why should I care 'bout how I feel? It's my best friend in danger!_ Renji felt the fear gush out of his mind, replaced with a single thought. _Protect._

"I'll thank ya later, Zabimaru. Let's get goin'." It was time to repay the debt he owed to Ichigo.

Amazed, Ichigo watched through half-lidded eyes as a jagged hole appeared in the sky directly before him, its gaping maw a murky black colour. Something flitted from the entrance, landing lightly right next to his shoulder. Craning his neck slightly, Ichigo winced as his muscles protested. But the sight of this mysterious newcomer shocked him to the core, mind becoming a jumbled mess. The figure held a serrated zanpakuto, wore black robes and had a shock of red hair. He looked a hell of a lot like Renji. But it couldn't be. Renji wouldn't be able to enter his inner world. _Probably just another mutated Hollow._ Ichigo's stomach lurched at the thought of having to face off a Hollow in his current state.

"Yo, Ichigo!" Ichigo's head spun around once again, eyes wide as his gaze returned to the figure. There was no mistaking…

"Renji? How the heck are you here? How did you…why are you?" His bombardment of questions faded as the words tangled together. Renji just gave Ichigo a sympathetic smile, silencing him by pushing his head down into the ground.

"Talk later. I gotta save ya ass first. Ya should know better than ta try an' die on me, Ichigo. Ya mean too much ta me, I couldn't jus' stand and watch ya die." The redhead turned, hand already resting on the blade of his zanpakuto. "Bankai!" The weapon glowed a violent red, before the whole immediate area erupted in a burst of reiatsu. A roar rent the air as Zabimaru appeared, segmented body coiling around Renji as the head shot into the air.

Ichigo's mind was lagging horribly behind, struggling to cope with the intake of so much new information. Just the fact that Renji was here hurt his head. _And then did he say that I meant…too much...to him? _His heart raced with the hope that Renji had just confessed, but Ichigo forcibly squashed it down, knowing how stupid that thought was. _Thinking about that stuff is just useless. It'll never come true so might as well ditch the habit now._ Even though he hated to admit it, feeling Renji's reiatsu so close to his right now was supremely comforting, as if everything would end up alright. The pulsing hatred of failure had left from Ichigo's mind, replaced with a sense of relief. It just felt right to trust that Renji was going to pull them out of this. _I'll make sure to kill Renji for making me feel this way._

"Hikotsu Taiho!" The crimson blast erupted from Zabimaru's open jaws, releasing enormous amounts of reiatsu as it hit the reiatsu pentagon. The fusion was swift, brightness returning to the structure as the new source of reiatsu was utilized. Renji continued to channel the blast, an expression of utter concentration and determination covering his face. It was quite clear that not being on the brink of death helped massively while going through the intense process.

Zangetsu was quick to raise his sword, the piercing light reflecting off its jet black edge, drawing ever closer. A split second passed where everything seemed to be frozen in place, unmoving and statuesque. Then, a loud sound of screeching metal broke silence's glass house, heralding the end. Ichigo's whole inner world seemed to hum with energy, as Zangetsu prepared to unleash the reiatsu forced into his blade. Ichigo barely heard the words uttered by his zanpakuto, wind whipping his face.

"Getsuga…Tenshou." Something erupted from the end of Zangetsu's blade, expanding lightning-quick. A fleeting, hazy image of Renji grinning wildly was all the orange-haired Shinigami saw, before the explosion of light washed everything away.

Ichigo felt like he was lost. Lost in some huge place that felt so very foreign. Every feeling that buffeted him felt out of place, every image floating in his mind felt strange and unrelated.

In a flash, thoughts aligned themselves, images organized themselves, as if preparing for something. Somewhere in his mind, a screen appeared, and a collection of memories began to playback. But they weren't his. They involved a person he was very familiar with.

Somehow, Ichigo could feel his sense of individuality returning as he stared at the psychological screen. _Renji. I must be in his inner world if this is happening._

Ichigo watched the young Renji grow up, living in a tiny shack, going on stealing trips, eating candy. He watched Renji's first encounter with a black-haired girl he could make out as Rukia. He watched as Renji and Rukia created small markers for their dead friends, on a hill above Inuzuri, Rukongai's 78th district. He watched as Rukia left Renji's side, choosing the life of a noble over their friendship. The film continued playing for what felt like hours, but Ichigo didn't find himself getting the slightest bit tired. He was finding out things he had never known about Renji. He was realizing just how craggy the road of the man's life had been. Then, when the memories seemed to be drawing to an end, events becoming increasingly recent, a strange image appeared on screen.

It was just the two of them, lying, seemingly exhausted, together on a small futon. Ichigo's head was resting gently against Renji's smooth, bare chest, orange hair clashing with the black of the redhead's tattoos. His eyes were closed, a peaceful expression spread across his usually scowling face. Renji's muscled arm was draped lovingly over Ichigo's neck, calloused hand resting against the orange-haired man's lower back. Ichigo's arm was tightly wound around the other's waist, grip not loosening even in deep slumber. It seemed almost as if the embrace was possessive, like the teenager was holding tightly onto something that he didn't wish to lose. A blanket covered the lower half of the two, but couldn't completely obscure the fact that they had both shed all of their garments. Their embrace was clearly one of deep love, and pure joy.

Ichigo watched the image in bewilderment, startled that something so desirable had appeared. It was so real, so tangible that he found himself believing, even if it was only for a second. Abruptly, the screen disappeared, leaving darkness where it had been.

Ichigo shook the feelings rocking through his mind, fighting furiously to stop them from welling up. _Stop it! Stop thinking that he likes me the same way I do him! It's only because I got so bored that my own mind substituted a fantasy into the memories! If I keep hoping like this, I'll become desperate and confess! I can't take him laughing and teasing me afterwards for the rest of my life!_ Ichigo felt the fountain of hope slowly, ever so slowly, dry up, the cap that had flown off the bottle of his emotions eventually replacing itself.

At that precise moment, Ichigo heard a voice calling his name. It was repeated, and he felt the sound getting louder and louder. _I guess I'm being woken up again._

With a jolt, Ichigo's eyes flew open. The surroundings quickly came into his vision, confusing him with the difference that they revealed. Tall, aging trees stretched upwards, branches extending into the clouds. Wildlife teemed around Ichigo, different types of animals constantly popping into his range of sight. "Ichigo! Finally, you're awake! Been calling ya for the last ten minutes!"

Ichigo whirled towards the source of the voice, finding himself face to face with Renji. Everything melted away as soon as the orange-haired man laid eyes upon the redhead. He felt a sudden jolt in his stomach as relief, guilt and joy all flooded his senses simultaneously. Ichigo stared fixedly at Renji's chin, watching rather than the hearing the words tumble from the other's lips. His heart was racing, every logical thought in his brain being forced out by the brutal force of his other emotions. He could feel himself heating up, but quite frankly, he didn't care. _I can't let myself do it. Not now. Not after he's done so much for me._

"Ichigo, are ya alright? You're all red. Here, lemme check if ya have a fever." Renji's fingers reached out, lightly holding Ichigo's chin, before lifting it up slowly. Ichigo's eyes were forced to gaze straight into the redhead's orbs, something he had strived not to do for the last few minutes.

Every single wall inside Ichigo collapsed, feelings of love and lust flooding every cell of his body. _Renji. I need him._ Nothing else mattered in this moment. Ichigo leaned into Renji's warm touch as he touched his forehead. His hand reached up, peeling Renji's fingers away from his head and pulling them into his hand. Ichigo felt his whole body tingling as Renji's warm flesh touched him, gliding against his skin as their hands entwined together, fingers interlocking. Without a second thought, Ichigo's face glided forward, lips closing the gap between him and his seemingly unrequited lover.

It was bliss. Nothing was present in Ichigo's mind, for everything had been blown away when he sealed his lips with Renji's. Full, warm and utterly perfect they were, pushed against his in a locked embrace. He could feel every single breath Renji took tickling the insides of his mouth. He could taste the unique, enticing flavour that would only ever belong to the redhead. He could sense his entire existence fusing with the other's. Ichigo extended his tongue, taking in every bit of space there was to explore, ravishing all that Renji's sublime mouth could offer. He felt a spark of excitement travel from the tip of his spine to the base as his tongue connected with the redhead's, encircling it slowly as the two merged together. Their tongues were tangled together, twisting and turning against each other as they danced in unison. Heat cascaded down Ichigo's body as the pleasure coursed along his veins, travelling straight to his groin. He felt his member stiffen, quickly beginning to throb from the intensity of their kiss. Ichigo's fundoshi was feeling horribly constricting around his erection, but he had no hands free. One of his hands was glued against Renji's, and the other had twisted around the redhead's neck, unnoticed in the hazy nature of the moment. They were together; they were one, joined in an embrace that could have lasted for all eternity.

But then, Renji broke the kiss, flushed and huffing for breath. His hair was slightly disheveled, band having loosened enough to let a heap of strands escape. Too much time passed, allowing Ichigo's brain to think again. It was enough to ruin it all. Everything came crashing down as the heat left Ichigo's mouth, emptiness replacing the feeling of blissful love. Shame, embarrassment and despair clanged inside his brain like bells, telling him to go, to leave. Lust was replaced with horror as Ichigo realized just what had happened.

Turning quickly, Ichigo stood up, legs wobbling slightly. Breaking into a desperate sprint, Ichigo stumbled from the area, flashing away when he reached the end of the forest clearing. He heard Renji's voice cry out, in a hoarse whisper, "Ichigo...?"

Ichigo just continued running, knowing not where he was headed. Tears began to spill from his eyes as absolute anger, frustration and sadness stabbed into his heart like burning hot knives. _What have I done?_

~Chapter 6 Omake

Renji: I miss the wabbits, they were a lotta fun!

Ichigo: Me too!

J: …

J: You mean you miss Easter?

Ichigo: No need to worry, they're comin' again next year!

Renji: Yay! More furry wabbits!

Ichigo: Rainbow wabbits!

J: … (_Guess I did make everyone go crazy by publishing this chapter so late._)


End file.
